30 Day Ship Challenge: Ereri
by Tsundere Asuna
Summary: Collection of one-shots and multi-chapter prompts. Updated daily!
1. Day 1: Drive-In

Levi drove up to the rather bland apartment complex. Not one of the nicer places in Sina, but certainly not the worst. Levi was glad Eren didn't live in a dump, he wouldn't be able to visit a mess all the time. He pulled the car right up to the curb and put the truck in park, knowing his brunette company for the night was never one for promptness.

The cool autumn breeze settled over the city. Levi was dressed casually, a plain black sweater complementing his wind-blown black hair and steely grey eyes. Medium-wash jeans that hugged all his curves, or lack there of, just the way his partner liked.

It had been a month since him and Eren had started hanging out, but this was their first official date. They didn't want to make any grand gesture as they already had a good relationship and didn't feel the need. Why go through the nerves on purpose? Or, at least, that was the idea. Levi could feel the butterflies, even if he convinced himself it was the leftovers he had for lunch.

After several minutes had passed with no one stumbling out of the apartment, Levi pulled out his phone. There were mumbles about giving a brat a clock for Christmas before they were connected.

"Oi. Are you shitting? Did you strain yourself? Get your ass out here, Jaeger." _Not the best opening line_ , Levi admitted to himself. But after all the time they spent together, he knew that Eren must not be too bothered by this sort of thing or he would have left already. He hoped at least.

"I'm so sorry, Levi!" He began, sounding a little of breath. The rosiness on his cheeks aparrent by the way his tone fluxuated, giving away his nerves. "I'm on my way now, I swear."

There was a small grunt of confirmation and disbelieve from the older man before the line went dead. He didn't get his hopes up, but hopefully that at least lit a fire under the brats ass.

A moment passed and the door to the apartment swung open, a tall boy clad in the local universitie's hoodie and some jeans. His hair disheveled and a bag full of something Levi couldn't make out in one hand as the other slammed the door shut.

He half-jogged his way to Levi, opening the vehicle door with much more care than he had shown the other.

"Sorry." He let out meakly, turning to set his bag in the backseat with the pillows and blankets that Levi had gotten to line the truck bed.

"It's fine." Levi returned, no irritated inflection present.

Not feeling sure about the sentence, Eren gave him a peck on the cheek as he turned back to sit down as an apology. His cheeks tinted the slightest pink _,_ making Levi question if he was actually a third year college student, but he enjoyed the action anyway.

"So, what's in that bag you hauled in here?" There was a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

"We're going to the drive-in, Levi." Eren stated the fact like Levi was going senile, despite the fact that he was probably in better shape than Eren.

He directed an _are-you-fucking-serious_ glance to Eren. "And...?"

"And I'm a poor college kid. I'm not about to pay six dollars for a bag of skittles. Nor am I about to let you."

Eren's flustered self had started retreating soon after entering the car and had completely disippated now.

Levi, satisfied enough with the answer, put the car in drive and pulled away. It was a good thirty minute drive to the nearest drive-in movie theatre and Levi wanted a good spot.

"You know I don't care. It's not like I have a problem with money. We're not _both_ poor college kids. I'm allowed to splurge occasionally if I want too."

Levi wasn't reserved about his wealth, but he also didn't enjoy flaunting it. He did enjoy spoiling Eren though. The grin on Eren's face when he was happy or excited was Levi's favorite look. His favorite look that he had gotten to see at least. He imagened the look on Eren's face as he came undone would be his favorite. Every version that Levi had come up with was hot enough to make him crumble. Not that he had imagined Eren when he touched himself at home though, the sweet voice he would let out, the little twitches, oh no.

The majority of the ride was spent in quiet anticipation for the movie. At some point there hands found each other on the middle arm rest and gripped one another tightly, like it was the second nature already.

When the finally arrived they paid for their tickets and found a good parking spot towards the middle, Levi might not like people but he didn't wanna be rude and block someones view with his larger truck, so it was a happy middle ground between his wants and trying to be curtious.

Eren turned to grab some of the blankets and pillows from the backseat to set up. Levi followed as Eren placed a larger picnic blanket down on the bed of the truck first, then a pile of pillows to lean against was propped up against the cab and the rest of the fuzzy blankets were placed haphazardly in the middle until the couple was ready to settle in.

Levi leaned against the side of the truck as Eren retrieved his bag. He leaned forward to reach where he placed it and Levi didn't miss the slight glimpse of exposed skin where the hoodie had inched its way up Eren's back. It was too delectable. His hand twitched as he forced it not to run fingers across the small space of tanned skin.

"What time is it?"

Levi blinked, hoping he hadn't gotten caught staring.

"What?"

He didn't miss a beat, calming himself and keeping the same expression on his face as earlier.

"I asked you what time it was." Eren stated, pushing the door closed and climbing into their newly made nest.

"Oh, it's a little after 6:30"

He climbed in after Eren. There was a small gap between Eren and where Levi had chosen to sit. Not large, but noticable to Eren. There was a small furrow in Eren's brow. Levi had to control himself he thought, he didn't want to scare Eren away. Not when they had gotten along so well up until this point.

Luckily Eren was having none of it, and proceeded to be the same boy Levi had come to like. Straightforward.

Eren scooted until their shoulders were touching and their thighs rubbed against each other softly. He then smiled up at Levi. Not one of those shit-eating grins that Eren was known for, but one that Levi hoped was special to him. It was warm and _seemed_ affectionate, made it _seem_ like Eren liked him.

Despite how happy their relationship was, Levi still felt unsure about why Eren would choose to date someone like himself. He pushed the thought away until later. A first date was not the time to be having this crisis. For now, he just needed Eren's warmth and all would be right in the world.

Levi adjust his arm so it was wrapped around Eren's shoulders, allowing him to cuddle closer to Levi.

The sun had started to go down now and the parking lot was becoming increasingly crowded.

The silence they sat in was comfortable. Levi's thumb moved soothingly on the excited boys shoulder, while Eren's hand rested peacefully on Levi's thigh.

A couple minutes later the screen came to life. Animated concession food walked across the screen in an advertisement before the previews began. Eren snuggled a little closer.

They had chosen to watch a scary movie. Levi wasn't a fan, but Eren had been overjoyed to see the sequel to his favorite horror hit the big screen and Levi couldn't resist.

As the movie went on, Levi lost whatever nerves he had. Eren was now burrowed into his side, the blanket thrown over himself, both his hands holding the blanket up to right below his eyes. He wanted to be able to cover them quickly if need arose. Levi grabbed the edge of the blanket and threw it around himself with his free hand and wrapped himself around Eren.

"It's okay. I'll protect you from the ghouls." Levi whispered into Eren's ear, making him shudder slightly. His low voice filled with slight amusement but Eren knew they would still hold true should they come across ghouls in the future.

He dared a look up at Levi. The amusement was evident in his eyes, which were locked on Eren rather than the screen in front of them. Eren wondered how long he'd been studying him quickly before turning back to the screen.

Several more twitches and instances of hiding his face in Levi's neck later, the movie was over. Eren's grin plastered on his face as they stretched and returned everything to the backseat of the truck.

The quiet that had lasted up until this point was utterly destroyed as Eren couldn't stop raving about the movie.

Levi listened attentively to every word as Eren spoke. He didn't care about the movie, and truthfully he couldn't tell you much about it. But he wanted to remember everything that came out of Eren's mouth.

This continued the entire way back into Sina, Levi commenting occasionally, a smile clearly on his face now.

Once they got to downtown Sina Eren began to fidget in his seat a little.

"Um..." He began.

Levi glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Would you mind if I spent the night tonight? I know it's last minute and I totally understa-"

He was cut off before he could finish as Levi noticed he was starting to turn a sentence into an extremely long word with how fast he was speaking.

"It's fine Eren. It's not like it'll be the first time you stay over." Levi gave a small shrug.

At this Eren seemed to calm down and they continued their discussion of movies to Levi's apartment.

The complex was new and on the other side of downtown Sina. Levi parked in his designated lot and grabbed all of the pillows and blankets they used while Eren grabbed his bag of food once again.

They made it up to the apartment on the fourth floor with no problems, continuing the light chatter as Levi unlocked the door and let them inside.

Levi stepped out of his shoes as soon as they were inside and instructed Eren to do the same as he went immediately to the laundry room and sat the mess of bedding in a basket before returning to Eren, who was placing his bag of goodies on the counter.

Although the movie was good, Eren was burried too deep into Levi's side to be able to grab food and Levi was too busy watching Eren to concern himself with such trivalities.

He pulled the contents out. Chocolate covered pretzels, some M&M's, twizzlers, and a bag of popcorn.

"There's not even any skittles in there." Levi pointed out with an eye roll.

"It was just an example." Eren chuckled a little as he explained.

"Well, what do you want to do? We can watch some TV, there's some movies in the cabinet over there, or we could just go straight to bed." Levi glanced around the room thinking of what to do before resigning himself to the nice leather couch, leaving the end decision to the brunette leaning on the counter staring at him.

"How about another movie? Perhaps one a little less terrifying though."

Eren made his way to the cabinet and skimmed it, looking for a title that caught his eye.

"Ah! How about this?" He held up a copy of Mama.

Levi nodded and adjusted the TV to the appropriate channel as Eren put the disk in.

They cuddled again, in the middle of the couch.

It wasn't long before Eren began to feel warm. Levi noticed, feeling the same himself.

He picked up the remote and paused the movie.

"Let's change before we get too into it. I'm starting to sweat like a pig and feel disgusting now." Levi removed his arm from Eren's shoulders and stood up, walking towards his room and motioning for Eren to follow. He grabbed a white and black band shirt and a some grey sweatpants for himself and his largest clothes for Eren, a plain white Hanes shirt and a similar pair of grey sweatpants. Despite Eren's height advantage, Levi was bulkier, leaving the shirt to hang on Eren's body in the most delicious way.

Levi promptly threw the clothes at Eren before beginning to strip.

Eren gaped as Levi changed in front of him, his hands frozen on his shirt, scared to pull it off and miss a second of Levi's skin.

"Like what you see?" Levi smirked.

Eren let out a soft "yeah" as he resumed changing himself. Levi continued to watch the same way Eren had, his smirk never fading.

They returned to the couch, continuing the movie.

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi could see Eren glancing up. When he turned to confront him Eren's eyes widden ever so slightly, but only for a moment. He placed one hand on Levi's thigh and raised himself, bringing his face closer to Levi's. His cheeks a rosey color that Levi couldn't resist.

Levi leaned in. They were close enough to feel each others breath on their lips, but Levi made no effort to close the small gap. If Eren wanted it, he had to get it. And he definitely wanted it.

He closed the distance softly. Their lips barely touching at first. But it quickly escalated, their lips parting and tongues exploring one another. Eren was losing himself, and Levi couldn't say he wasn't on the verge of doing the same.

He grabbed the younger boys hips and manuevered him so he was straddling Levi. Eren's hands found the back of Levi's head, enjoying the feeling of the shaved hair he found there. Levi's gripped firmly onto Eren's hips, lifting his shirt up to get skin-on-skin contact.

Eren stayed placed on Levi's lap until the movie ended and the credits appeared on the screen. They broke apart then. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's neck and burried his face, taking in his scent.

"Come on, let's go to bed."

Levi's hands went to Eren's bottom as he got up, carrying him to the bed before unceremoniously plopping him down on the edge. Levi crawled over him and placed a long, gentle kiss on his lips. Eren was grinning ridiculously wide, his eyes hooded from being sleepy.

Levi rolled off him and got under the covers, Eren following his lead.

It wasn't long before they were both asleep, wrapped in each others arms. The nerves from the day wearing them both out needlessly.

Neither could say it wasn't an amazing day and first date. Both eager for the next, but utterly content and basking in the body heat of their partner in the moment.


	2. Day 2: Shopping for Formal Wear

"Alright, I appreciate you thinking to invite me, really." Eren started, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But, I don't own anything to wear to the fundraiser."

"We can fix that." Levi stated, getting up from his position on the couch.

Eren looked confused as he watched the older man slip on his shoes and grab his keys.

"You don't mean right now, do you?" Eren asked, a little dejected. Levi nodded his head, making Eren release a small sigh that caused Levi's mouth to twitch into a smirk momentarily.

"So much for a lazy weekend," Eren mumbled, giving a small glare to Levi.

He brushed it off and waited for Eren to catch up to him in the doorway. It took a minute, but Eren finally gathered his things and followed Levi out the door, locking his apartment behind them.

They hopped in Levi's black 2014 Jaguar XJ. It was one of Levi's prized possessions, he always made sure there wasn't a speck of dust, inside or out.

"I need to get a new suit made anyway, we might as well go together." Levi shrugged as he buckled himself in.

Since Eren was inexperienced, Levi just went to his usual shop. He'd been going there for years and they all recognized him right away.

"Levi! It's been a while! How are you?"

A tall man came up to them with a name tag that said _Mike_. His hair was blonde and parted down the middle with light scruff covering his face. He seemed approachable enough.

"Mike." Levi said with a small nod. "This brat needs a suit."

The tall man stretched out his hand and they exchanged some brief introductions before motioning for them to follow him.

"So, do you have anything in mind already?" Mike asked looking at Eren.

"No, not really. Do you have any suggestions?" Eren got a little nervous, overwhelmed by the seeming complexity of the inside of the store.

"Hmmm. I'll bring you a couple options to try then." He brought his hand up to his face and started stroking his scruff. "Do you want me to pick some things out for you while I look for him as well?" He looked to Levi who gave another nod.

They took a seat outside the dressing rooms that Mike had led them back too.

"Ya know, I never get tired of seeing you in a suit." Eren leaned back in the chair and propped his chin on his hand as he gazed at Levi.

"I wear one every day for work, I don't understand how." Levi leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he spoke to Eren.

Eren shrugged. "You just look really hot in them, I can't help it."

Mike came back with three options for each male. Levi's tried on the first two options and didn't even bother to show Eren, making him slightly impatient, but eager to see the older man in at least one. He finally slid the curtain in the dressing room open to reveal himself in a classic black suit and shiny black dress shoes. The pants a little too long and the jacket a little too snug, but otherwise looked absolutely amazing on him. The sleek grey tie around his neck brining out the steely grey in his eyes.

"Well shit." Eren mumbled, leaning forward in his seat. There was a twinkle in his eye as his bit his lip.

Levi grabbed the lapels and turned around in the mirror critiquing himself. There was a smile tugging on his lips.

"It's classic and suits you really well." Mike walked passed, arms crossed and nodding before he walked away again.

"Well Eren, now it's your turn, hop to it. Let's see that ass in some slacks." Levi pulled Eren out of his seat and pushed him into the room with the suits.

He ended up having the same problem as Levi, only really feeling good in the last suit that he tried on.

He walked out, his suit was a dark grey and the jacket was left unbotton, a white button up underneath, a green tie and black dress shoes adding the finishing touch.

He copied Levi, turning in the mirror and admiring himself from all angles. There was a pink tint to his cheeks, feeling uncomfortable in the dressy attire. Suprisingly, the suit fit perfectly. There wouldn't need to be any alterations.

Levi's hands snaked around his waist as he placed a kiss just above the collar of the suit. Eren's breath caught as he shuddered, tilting his head to give Levi better access.

Levi kissed just below Eren's ear next, whispering "Go change. Now."

There was urgency and need in Levi's voice. Eren promptly obeyed as Levi turned and walked away.

When Eren returned, Levi was handing Mike his card.

"What are you doing?!" Eren asked a little concerned, knowing Levi had done something unnecessary.

"I can do what I want with my money, Eren. I am a grown man. If it makes you feel better I got a discount."

Levi took placed his card back in his wallet which he then put in his pocket. Once his hands were free he grabbed Eren's and entwined their fingers, gripping tightly.

He gave some brief instructions to Mike about the suits and they were on their way home.

The trip to Levi's apartment was short. Levi only dropping Eren's hand so they could sit in the car.

The walk from the car into the apartment elevator seemed longer than it had ever been. Levi's desire and lust filled eyes were contagious, making Eren giddy with excitement.

Once the elevator door closed, Eren was the one to take the lead, pushing Levi against the wall. Levi gladly resigned to his position as the elevator started moving up. His hands gripped the back of Eren's shirt as Eren had hands resting on either side of Levi's head. They made out passionately until the elevator slowed and the light by the door revealed they had reached their destination.

Eren backed up reluctantly and allowed Levi to pull him to his apartment where he swiftly unlocked the door and swung it open.

Eren barely had time to think before he was being slammed against the front door. Levi's hands were making quick work of Eren's clothes, his hands sliding up his sides, removing Eren's shirt. Eren removed Levi's as soon as his was off. And then their lips were pressed together again.

Now Eren began to push Levi back, his hand gripping Levi's hips, directing him into the bedroom.

When he felt his legs hit the side of the bed he let himself fall back, breathing heavily. He watched as Eren undid his pants and pushed them down, showing off the buldge in his tight black briefs.

Levi, too impatient to wait for Eren to help, began to kick his shoes off, dropping them at the foot of the bed. Eren, finally devoid of everything but his offensive black briefs, noticed Levi's undressing.

He grabbed Levi's wrists and pinned them to his side. Levi's breath catching in his throat for a moment.

Eren kissed from Levi's chest from his nipples down into his happy trail, stopping when he hit denim. He finally released Levi's wrists then, undoing Levi's straining jeans. He slipped several slender fingers into the band of Levi's boxers and pulled them down and off swiftly.

Levi sighed with the relief he felt, his cock sprining free.

Eren licked his lips as he crawled back on top of the older man, putting his weight on his forearms that were placed on either side of Levi. Levi's hands were gripping the younger boys hair, tugging him down into an intense kiss.

Breaking apart momentarily, Levi's hand shot down and palmed Eren through his briefs. The younger boy hissed at the sensation, closing his eyes and enjoying the attention his pulsing member was getting.

Then suddenly he was on his back, Levi on his knees, pulling Eren's underwear off of him.

He then straddled Eren, his own cock in his hand. He pumped it lazily as he stared at Eren. The younger boys cheeks were red, his eyes hooded, and his breathing ragged.

"God, Levi. Don't tease me like this." Eren begged.

For his response, Levi leaned forward and pressed their cocks against each other. He rocked his hips and Eren's head shot back, a moan escaping his parted lips.

Eren reached down and grabbed both of their dicks in his hands, pumping them together. It was Levi's turn to release a moan now. His hands pressed to the younger boys chest.

All that was heard in the room was heaving breathing and moans for many minutes as both boys tried to hold back.

Finally Eren twisted his wrist just right and caused himself to let out a whimper.

"I'm so close, Eren. Come with me." Levi scratched lightly on Eren's chest, biting his collar bone, harder than he meant to in the heat of the moment.

The way Levi moaned the words and the sudden pain he felt across his upper body was enough to send him over the edge. He came loudly, shaking. His pumps grew more and more eradic, but luckily he wouldn't need to continue much longer.

The sight of Eren coming undone and the feeling of his pulsating dick under his own was enough to bring about his release.

Levi rested on top of Eren, who snaked his arms around Levi, holding him close. Both were panting heavily, a very light layer of sweat on both their bodies.

Levi pushed himself back onto his knees, his hands resting on Eren's hips.

"Come on, we're getting a shower."

It wasn't a suggestion, but a command that came from the older man. He wore a look of triumph but also disgust as he looked to to the brunette's abdomen and then his own. As hot as it was that Eren was covered in his seed, he'd still prefer to be cleaned up.

The shower was warm, inviting, and luckily big enough for two. They helped each other clean off, getting distracted occassionally and groaping the other's ass or kissing shoulders and having their hands wonder.

But once Levi deemed they were clean enough to return to normal daily activities, they headed into back into the room and dressed themselves. Eren borrow some more clothes from the older man and they wondered into the living room.

Eren made himself comfortable on the coach and Levi joined him. They flicked through the channels, settling on an old Batman movie. They both decided the rest of th day would be extremely lazy, a movie marathon and maybe a takeout pizza for Eren.


	3. Day 3: Exam Week

The stress of midterms had fallen on poor Eren. Being a third year in college meant that he had no room for slacking off. No matter how useless he thought the elective would be.

He had already warned Levi that he be tethered to his desk for the next week. There would be little time for Levi, let alone their usual shenanigans during the week. Neither of them had been very thrilled by the idea, but Levi understood, having gone through the same thing before.

 _You better be studying, brat. I'm not gonna comfort you if you fail a test._

Although not the nicest text, Eren used it to motivate himself to buckle down and really study.

He gave himself a small pep talk, brewed a pot of coffee and sat back at his desk. Several hours passed with Eren bent of his desk staring at textbooks.

He was unsure when he finally took a break to refuel, but when he went to the kitchen there was a bag on the counter. On it was a small note with _I don't need you passing out or dying on me_. Eren didn't need a signature at the bottom to know who's messy handwritting was on the post-it.

Eren whipped out his phone to several missed text messages. He had put his phone on silent to concentrate.

 _I'm picking up fast food do you want anything?_

 _I'm glad you're studying, but this is inconvenient._

 _I got your favorite and put it on the counter, I won't disrupt your studies. Be sure to finish it. I'll cook for you when your exams are over. This much grease for the next week is not healthy._

Eren grinned stupidly at his phone while writing his reply.

 _Thank you so much! I'm sorry I missed your handsome face ;)_  
 _I can't wait to eat your delicious food! xoxo_

Eren didn't bother to wait for a reply, knowing Levi wouldn't respond right away and he wanted to finish going through another chapter before he turned in for the night.

Eren had managed to make through 2 of his 4 finals before breaking down and inviting Levi over.

 _Do you want to come over after work? I only have two more days of exams and I could use some company. I promise to study while you're here! You can put on that dumb TV show you started or something while I do._

He turned the ringer on his phone on and set it on his desk before returning to read his economics textbook.

Several minutes later Eren's phone rang. Levi's seemingly grumpy mug was lighting up the screen.

"Hello?" Eren answered happily.

"I swear to god if you don't study Eren..." Levi was cut off.

"I promise I will!" Eren was begging through the phone.

Levi let out a soft sigh. "Alright. Now I know you haven't eaten, what do you want?"

Eren shrugged, taking a moment to realize that Levi couldn't see his response. "Um, I'm not sure. Suprise me?"

"Alright. I can do that. I'll be there shortly then."

Eren continued concentrating on his textbook until he heard Levi setting food down in the kitchen. He knew Levi would castrate him had he not.

He went straight to the short older man and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.

"It's been a while." Levi murmered between kisses, wrapping his arms around Erens waist.

They stayed like that for a moment. Eren appreciating his boyfriend a great deal, because honestly he did not feel like going out to get food and he ran out of cupped ramen earlier.

When they seperated Levi handed him a plastic container filled with chicken tenders, onion rings, and a corndog. Never had ordinary foods looked so good to the younger, stressed out boy.

The distraction was much needed.

"Thank you so much for being the best boyfriend I could ever have." Eren gave Levi another kiss on the cheek to emphasize his thankfulness.

"Yeah, I know. Just remember that."

Levi grabbed his container, filled with a burger with everything and fries.

They ate sitting on the couch, Levi dismissing the crumbs that would fall onto it, cutting Eren a break this week. Levi talked about his day at work and Eren listened attentively.

Once they were done, Eren got up and threw away their containers. He returned after grabbing a textbook and his notebook.

"Last class to study for the day at least." Eren mumbled, then directed his gaze at Levi. "I don't know when I'll get through this, so whenever you need to leave you can. But here's the Xbox remote and you know how Netflix works. Knock yourself out."

Eren sat with his back against the armrest and his legs layed comfortably across Levi's lap.

Eren flipped through his textbook highlighting things and flipping pages. Levi torn between watching Eren's brows furrow and the TV show on the screen.

At midnight Levi was starting to yawn, hiding his face every time one creeped out to keep Eren from trying to send him on his way. He hated to admit it, but he had started to miss Eren a little, and this was comfortable for him.

Half passed midnight Eren finally slammed his book shut. He raised his hands up above his head in a stretch, trying to relieve some of the tension that had built up.

"Finally done!" Eren exclaimed, looking over to the older man.

Levi looked back to Eren, his eyes starting to droop.

"I'll be on my way then." He finally let Eren see a yawn.

Eren sat up right on the coach, placing his feet on the floor, allowing Levi to adjust himself.

Levi stood up and Eren followed him to the door.

"Thanks again, Levi. I really appreciate it." He had a small smile on his lips.

"Anything for you. I'll see you after your last exam, alright? Good luck."

Levi placed a gentle hand on Eren's cheek and kissed him slowly and gently. He seperated after only a moment, before Eren could turn it into more and not actually allow him to go home to his comfortable bed.


	4. Day 4: Ackerman Enterprises

"Mr. Ackerman will see you now."

A very petite woman with shoulder-length, light ginger hair had appeared quietly behind him. A small smile on her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Eren gripped the notebook in his hand and stood up quickly.

 _God, what did I get myself into?_ Eren thought to himself.

He was led down a hallway that was bare save for a few paintings of scenery. There was one in particular that almost made Eren stop in his tracks. It was a picture of an abstract couple in the woods, the sun setting in the distance. It gave Eren a light shiver.

They finally reached a pair of black wooden doors with silver handles. The lady knocked twice.

"Mr. Ackerman, I have Eren Jaeger for you." She stated coolly.

"Please, come in."

She pushed open the door to his office. The space was immaculate. The white tile floors shined, and Eren expected to not find a single piece of dust in the entire room, despite the massive bookshelf to his left that took up almost the entire wall. The massive wooden desk in the middle of the room was just as orderly. On it a name plate with _Levi Ackerman / Founder & CEO _etched into metal.

Mr. Ackerman, himself, looked crisp and clean leaning on the front of his desk. He was dressed in a very well tailored suit, one that Eren imagined he couldn't afford to even touch, with a grey necktie that brought out the intense grey in his eyes.

Eren walked in, tripping over his own foot in his nervousness. His face lit up bright red as he reached for the pen he had dropped during his little stunt.

"Pardon me." Eren mumbled, hurrying over to Mr. Ackerman.

He collected himself and reached out a hand to the slightly shorter man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ackerman. Armin apologizes for the last minute changes due to his condition."

Mr. Ackerman took Eren's hand and shook it firmly.

"Please, just call me Levi. And the feeling is mutual, Eren." A smirk played on the older business man's lips as he spoke to Eren. "Well, shall we begin?" He motioned for Eren to sit down in one of the large red leather chairs placed in front of the desk.

Eren sat down, opening his notebook to the first page of questions.

"Alright, _Levi._ " The name felt oddly pleasant coming from Eren's mouth. "Do you mind if I record this interview? Just to make sure I get everything for Armin."

"Of course, _Eren_." Levi smiled at the young boy.

Eren pulled out a small tape recorder from his pocket and hit record.

"Alright, now I know your company does a lot of volunteer work, mainly focusing on agriculture and feeding the hungry. Why is this?"

Eren read the question just as Armin had written it on the page. He was glad Armin at least thought to come up with questions beforehand, because Eren did not have the capacity to do so with his nerves frayed like this.

Levi crossed his arms and stared at Eren. "I didn't grow up hungry myself if that's what you think. I did, however, have a good friend when I was little named Mike. He was a peculiar fellow, but a good person." Levi let out a soft chuckle. "Anyway, his family was too poor to ensure that he got the proper nutrients he needed." Whatever humor he had in his voice left. "He ended up having to be hospitalized for a while because of it. I couldn't do anything at the time and felt awful. I was just a kid, I shared what I could, but I didn't see him often enough for it to make a difference. Anway, now that I have the ability to help those that need it, I want to. It's a good way to give back to the community, too."

"Well isn't that sweet of you." Eren said, verging on the edge of sarcastic. "Next question, What do you find most enjoyable about your job here at Ackerman Enterprises?"

"I like the sense of control I have, honestly. Knowing that I'm the one in charge here gives me a great deal of..." He looked directly into Eren's curious green eyes. "... _pleasure_."

Eren gulped nervously. He fiddled with his pen a bit before he continued.

Eren, tried to compose himself as he read the next question.

"Are you gay?"

Eren's eyes widened drastically.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. Armin wrote these questions. I didn't know they would get this personal." A blush crept on Eren's cheeks as he tried to get Levi to understand.

Levi just let out a soft chuckle, relaxing his arms and letting his hands rest on the desk.

"Well, now we're certainly getting to the good questions. But, yes I am, in fact, gay. Can't say I've ever been one to chase skirts."

Levi stared into Eren's eyes. Making the younger boy shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Enough about me, Eren. Tell me about _you._ What do you like to do? What kind of family do you have?"

Eren was thrown back by the direction Levi was leading the conversation into.

"I'm here to interview _you_ , Mr. Ackerman. Not the other way around." Eren tried to get back to asking the questions that Armin had given him, knowing the blonde boy would not let him walk away unscathed if he didn't get answer to all the questions.

"Please, won't you satisfy my curiosity?"

Levi's smoldering gaze caused Eren's will to break. A small sigh escaped his lips while his cheeks turned even redder.

"I like to read in my spare time mainly. I write a little, too. Nothing major or _good_ , but I write. Family consists of me and my mom. But my roommate, Armin, might as well be family. Anything else?"  
There was a knock on the door before Levi could reply.


	5. Day 5: Ackerman Enterprises (Part 2)

"Come in" replied Levi, finally taking his attention off of the younger boy.

The petite ginger lady from before walked in.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but your time is up Mr. Ackerman. Your next appointment is waiting." She stated, giving a brief nod before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

Levi let out a soft sigh, one Eren almost missed.

He directed his attention back to brunette sitting in front of him.

"Well, Eren, I suppose we must finish here. Give me those questions and I'll e-mail the answers to your ill friend." He held out his hand, waiting for Eren to place the papers in them.

Eren quickly obeyed. He hastily tore the pages out of his notebook and placed them in Levi's hand. Their fingers touched unnecessarily. Eren felt a spark shoot through him at the contact, thinking he must be imagining something that wasn't there.

"Well, _Levi_ , I will be on my way now. I'm sure Armin will contact you himself if he needs anything else. But thank you for putting up with me for today." A smile appeared on Eren's face. His eyes crinkled a little, hiding the sparkle of relief that it was all over.

"Allow me to walk you out."

Levi sat the papers on his desk as Eren stood up. Levi walked in front of the taller boy, being sure to open the door for him. Eren gave his thanks, expecting Levi to leave him there but he didn't. He followed Eren all the way to the elevator that he had come up on.

"I'm glad Armin couldn't make it."

He handed Eren a small business card with the company logo and Levi's business information. He then pressed the lobby button on the elevator and backed out. He gave a small wave and a smirk as the elevator doors closed.

Eren, confused, fiddled with the card.

 _Is there really a reason for me to need this? I'm not even going into business._ Eren thought.

He flipped it over and written on the back was his personal number signed with an _L.A._ at the bottom.

Eren pushed it out of his mind. The older man was out of his league and he didn't want to embarrass himself by thinking he had a chance.

So, Eren drove the several hours back home to Sina. He walked into the apartment he shared with Armin with a loud huff.

"Armin?!" He yelled,stripping as he walked through the small apartment decorated with books and pictures of him and friends.

"I'm in here!"

Eren followed the sound of the voice to Armin's bedroom.

Armin was in his pajamas sitting in the middle of his bed with his blanket over him and laptop in front of him.

Eren pulled the recorder out of his pocket it and set it next to Armin's laptop.

"Thank you so much, Eren! I appreciate it! How was it? Why'd he send me the answers to the questions?" Armin rushed the questions out before Eren was even able to take a seat on the bed.

"It was...intense. I was so nervous, Armin! And our meeting just ended quickly so he said he'd answer the rest of the questions later. I didn't expect him to do it so soon though…" Eren mumbled the last bit, genuinely surprised. He was a busy business man, when did he find time to e-mail back college kids?

"Well, I'm glad he did. I'm pretty sure that they'd kick me out of student government if I fucked this one up. Even if it is only a couple weeks until the graduation ceremony. You really did save my ass, Eren." Armin gave him a truly thankful smile.

"I'm just glad you're feeling better." Eren gave Armin a kiss on the forehead before heading to his own room for the night.

His room was small, probably even smaller than Levi's office had been. It was home though. More pictures of Eren and his friends and mom scattered the wall. Some posters from his favorite series were placed here and there to break up the space.

His room was a mess just like Eren, although he preferred to call it "lived-in."

Eren woke up the next day bright and early to go to work. The sun had barely risen above the horizon while Eren was getting around. One of the downsides of working at a tractor store, farmers got up before dawn and expected you to be too.

He walked into work clad in his usual rough jeans, belt, and a green plaid flannel with the sleeves rolled up.

The day started off slow, a few regular customers coming in and chatting with everyone. It was just Eren and the boss today since it was a slow day, meaning Eren could relax. Him and his boss, Zacharias, made a good team. It helped that Eren was one of his favorites, too.

Eren was feeding the chicks in the middle of the store when a customer approached him.

"Excuse me. Where might I find some zip ties?"

Eren stiffened at the familiar voice. He tried to hide his surprise as he turned to face the man.

"Levi? What are you doing here?" His tone laced with curiosity and confusion

"I was just in town on business and needed to pick up a few things. I didn't expect to see you here, either. A tractor supply store?" This time it was Levi that sounded curious.

"It pays the bills, and I've worked here for a really long time. Everyone is really nice."

He sat the bag of chick feed back on the ground by the display.

"Well, if you'll follow me I can show you where the zip ties are."

Levi nodded and followed the younger boy through several rows before they arrived. He picked up a small pack of dark red zip ties and eyed them.

"I think these will do perfectly, thank you."

"No problem. Is there anything else I can help you find?" Eren smiled politely, gripping his hands together in front of him.

"No, I believe I'm quite alright, thank you.'" Levi returned the polite smile.

Eren turned to walk away then quickly turned around. "Oh, did Armin get ahold of you about the shoot they wanted to do to go along with the article?"

"Yes, he did. I e-mailed him back shortly before stopping here actually. We'll be doing the shoot at the Maria Hotel downtown tomorrow morning. That's part of the business that brought me to Sina."

"Oh, well that's good then." Eren turned to continue his work.

"You're welcome to come tomorrow. In fact, I would like you to."

Eren's cheeks got a little red, surprised by the invitation. He wouldn't tell Levi that Armin had already asked for him to go.

"I'll see what I can do, Levi. But I've gotta get back to work now. Bye bye." Eren gave a wave and smile as he finally left the aisle.

Eren quickened his pace as soon as he was out of view of the older man.

He _had_ just been imagining everything right? Or did Levi maybe like him back? Wait...did Eren like him?


	6. Day 6: The Fair (p1)

"Oi, brat."

Eren turned to look at the older man whose lap he was laying on. Levi's face was twisted, gears in his head clearly working double time.

Levi took a minute before he looked down at the gorgeous brunette whose head was laying on his lap.

"Do you wanna go to the fair?"

Eren's eyes widened and he sat up.

"But you don't like fairs….they're gross."

Levi cringed, probably more so than he meant to.

"But _you_ like fairs. And I can get over it for a day. Maybe you can win me one of those stupidly large teddy bears." Levi joked, but a small smile remained at the thought.

"The fair isn't for another month tho?" Eren questioned.

"Yeah, but the one in the neighboring county is going on this week and Hange invited us." Levi ruffled Eren's hair lovingly. "Now, answer the question. Do you want to go? It won't hurt my feelings any if you say no."

"Of course I want to go, Levi! Did you want to go today or…?"

"Might as well go today. Hopefully there won't be as many people considering it's the middle of the week."

"I'll go get around!" Eren rushed up and gathered his things. He made sure he had his wallet, phone, keys, and a sweater because the August nights were starting to get colder.

Levi did the same and led Eren out of the apartment.

They drove the hour there and parked by the horse tracks.

"God, we haven't even gotten inside and it smells like shit." Levi wrinkled his nose.

"If all you're going to do is complain, I'm gonna leave your ass behind." Eren gave Levi a warning glare. It wasn't as effective as Eren had hoped, but it seemed to work.

Levi put his hands up in defeat and they exited the car.

Levi bought both their tickets, much to Eren's dismay, and they walked inside hand-in-hand.

"I guess I'll text four-eyes that we're here. I'm sorry in advance for anything stupid or eccentric she does."

Eren knew that Levi thought of Hange as family, even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone. Eren was glad Levi had a good set of friends. Hange, Erwin, and even Petra had all been good for the grumpy short man in Eren's opinion.

"It's fine, Levi. You know I love Hange. She always tells me the most embarrassing stories about you." Eren squeezed Levi's hand as he teased the older man.

It was mere minutes before Hange walked over to them, a bag of cotton candy in one hand and Erwin's wrist in the other.

Levi looked a little surprised to see the tall blond man.

"She dragged you into this, too?" Levi chuckled.

"For your information, I didn't _drag_ him into this. I simply invited him. Just like I did with you, thank you very much!" Hange explained rather loudly.

Erwin seemed more amused than anything like a person taken against his will. Eren always enjoyed watching the three of them. They were like the 3 musketeers...or the 3 Stooges.

"Well, shall we hop on boys?" Hange squealed as car door was opened up for us. Hange finally released Erwin to jump in first.

Beside Hange sat Erwin and across from her sat Eren. Levi got in last, barely keeping himself together as he sat on the filthy bench inside.

Eren interlocked their fingers and rubbed his thumb gently across the grumpy mans hands in an effort to relax him. It seemed to work as Eren could feel the older man loosen up under his touch.

"So, have you guys gotten to explore the fair yet?" Hange asked excitedly.

"We literally just got here when I texted you." Levi stated.

"Oh! Well you boys need to explore some! And be sure to check out my prize winning pumpkin! It's big and orange. Pretty hard to miss! It's with all the other vegetables and fruits in the building wayyyy over there!" She stuck her arm out of the side of the car and pointed to a rather small building that was, indeed, surrounded by a mass of shades of orange.

"Is that why you wanted us to come to the fair?"

Eren giggled at the thought. He loved how excited Hange could get over things. It was a pleasant change from the usual straight-faced man beside him. Though since he learned to read Levi's slight change in expressions several months ago, he knew all the emotions were there just like Hange's, just harder to see.

"Yeah, pretty much!" She grinned like the Chesire cat.

It was only a second after that the ride came to a stop and let them off. A seemingly short ride, although the line had grown tremendously since they first got on.

"Well, I'll leave you lover boys to it! Be sure to tell me what you think of the ol' orange monster!" She waved violently at the two males before she led Erwin away again.

"Well, shall we wander around for a bit?" Eren suggested. It was starting to get dark now. The days getting increasingly shorter.

"Sounds good to me." Levi nodded.

They laced their hands together, Eren sticking close to the older man.


	7. Day 7: The Fair (Part 2, final)

The two males walked around hand in hand as the sun started to fall beyond the horizon. It wasn't long before they were able to see their breath.

Eren pulled his sweater over his head and relaxed into the warmth. Levi watched as he took his hands and held them up, covering everything below his admired the breathtaking green that noticed his steely grey and stared back.

"Come on, Levi. I'm gonna win you that tiger!"

Eren dropped his hands from his face in favor of grasping Levi's. The taller boy pulled his hand all the way to the stall on the other side of the walkway.

It was your classic shooter, and to be honest, Eren wasn't the best at them, but he would try his best to get that tiger for his lover.

He payed the carni and picked up the toy gun in front of him. The goal was to shoot out the star on a card placed at the end of the range. Unfortunately for Eren, that didn't mean shoot the side of the card, it actually meant the star on the card.

Levi chuckled beside him as Eren tried, and failed, again.

"Mind if I give it a whirl?" Levi asked unnecessarily, alreading handing the money to the man standing inside the booth.

Eren gave a huff before moving out of the way.

Levi brought the toy gun up and fired a test shot. Another second later he emptied the gun on the target and pulled it back to them.

"We've got a winner folks! Congratulations, sir! What would you like for a prize?" He held up his hands to show Levi the prizes that he could pick from.

Eren gave a pout, wishing he had been the one to win. Levi was having none of it as he shoved the giant stuffed white tiger that he had picked out in Eren's face.

Eren was thrown off, suddenly having to throw his hands out to catch the giant mass of stuffing and fur.

His face lightened up as he lowered the tiger enough so he could see Levi. He looked proud of himself, a little smug in fact.

"For you, brat. It's even got your eyes."

Levi's smug grin was replaced with a loving smile as Eren blushed.

"Thank you, Levi. It's perfect."

He stared at it's eyes for a moment, gauging whether they really were the same color as his or not.

Levi wrapped an arm around Eren's waist so the younger boy could keep both hands on his new treasure. He then raised his head and placed his lips right by Eren's ear.

"Don't worry, yours are much more mesmerizing. Especially when they're clouded with lust. God, that's my favorite color, Eren."

He gave a squeeze and he could hear Eren's breath hitch in his throat.

"Leviiii…." Eren whined.

He gripped the tiger a bit tighter, trying to hide his embarrassment.

""Shall we go home, Eren?"

"No! We have to properly enjoy the fair. It's not often I can convince you to do things like this. I'm going to take full advantage of it!"

Eren walked towards the area with all the food stalls lined up.

"Come on! In exchange for the tiger I'll treat you to a delicious elephant ear!"

Eren pulled out his wallet and ordered two of the classic and delicious fair treats.

"That's a lot of sugar. Do you really need that?" Levi joked as he grabbed their order from the window.

"Probably not, but you're stuck with me anyway, lover boy!" Eren chuckled.

The two sat on a bench near the ferris wheel, back where their day at the fair had begun.

Eren sat the tiger on his lap and the plate of calories on top of that. Levi sat close, but the tiger kept a reasonably sized distance between the two as it extended far past Eren's hips.

"So, how is it?" Eren asked, his mouth stuffed with the fluffy deliciousness.

"It's surprisingly good. A little too much powdered sugar for me though. I'm scared on gonna breath at the wrong time and it's gonna end up coating my lungs." Levi laughed.

The older man reached out his hand and wiped off the spot of sugar next to Eren's lips. He then caressed his cheek lovingly before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Eren mumbled, surprised by the sudden display of affection.

"I always enjoy myself when I'm with you." Levi said casually. "No, that's a lie. Sometimes you're a pain in the ass. But that's not enough to get rid of me unfortunately."

Levi nudged Eren's shoulder with his own, showing him that he was playing.

"Alright, alright. I get it." Eren held his hands up defensively. "Come on, let's take one more ride on the ferris wheel. The lines died down now, too. Maybe they'll let us ride a little longer."

He got up, putting his new tiger friend under one arm so he could properly grasp Levi's hand in the other.

The walk to the ferris wheel was quiet and short as the boys took their time, both smiling.

The got in, sitting close to each other as the cart began to rise. Levi threw an arm around Eren's shoulders and lovingly kissed his temple. Eren's hand rested comfortably and innocently on Levi's thigh.

"You know there's something I've always wanted to try." Eren stated.

Levi raised a curious eyebrow as the younger boy turned to face him.

The cart rose higher and higher in the sky until they could see the entire fairground from the very top of the ferris wheel.

Eren squeezed Levi's thigh lightly as he brought their mouths together. He let their lips melt together for what seemed like eternity.

When they broke away Levi had a smirk plastered on his face.

"You wanted to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?"

"Yeah! Isn't it romantic?" Eren replied sheepishly.

"God, I didn't think I liked this sappy shit until now." Levi chuckled.

He placed his free hand under Eren's chin and lifted the brunette's face to meet his again. They stayed like that, stuck to each other, until the lady at the bottom coughed, opening the door to let the two of them out.

"Come on." Levi sighed. '"Let's go home. It's started to get a bit cold and that cockblock has _got_ to go now."

Eren laughed boisterously as they made their way back to the car and headed home.

The tiger found a permanent home on Eren's bed. He secretly sprayed some of Levi's cologne on it and used it to cuddle when Levi was away.


	8. Day 8: Video Games

It had to be past 3AM, but Eren refused to put down his mouse. He had been sitting on the couch for hours, his eyes fixated on the television in front of him. He had the bright idea to connect his laptop to the much bigger television screen in the living room and use his wireless mouse and keyboard and had never felt prouder.

However, his pride was now dying with his video game character.

"Are you kidding me?! Where the fuck was the healer?" He yelled, glad Armin had gone out for the night.

"Listen, dumbass. Maybe if you didn't just up and run off I could heal your sorry ass! I can't reach all five of you at every damn corner of the map and you just aren't as valuable. So fucking sorry." A voice snapped back over his headset. It was gruff and sounded utterly fed-up.

The match ended and Eren's character popped up on the screen. A girl with goggle appeared on the screen along with the words _Play of the Game TitanKiller as Tracer._

"I'm sorry, grumps, what was that?" Eren scoffed into his mic.

"One good moment doesn't equal a good game and you know it. Get over yourself, kid." The voice returned.

"Woah now guys, calm down. Don't forget it's _just a game._ " A much bubblier voice appeared over the channel, a female this time.

The lady tried her best to defuse the situation, but both gamers were too heated.

They started another game together, much quieter. Both were focusing on trying to capture the first point.

The group managed to get a team kill and the player of the gruff voice came around to everyone, ensuring their health bars were filled before the opposing team reappeared.

"Thanks." Eren muttered.

"You're fucking welcome." The voice was a little less grumpy now.

They played another couple rounds, finally working out how the two could work together.

Eren decided to send the player a friend request and a message.

 _TitanKiller to Heichou: You're actually a pretty good team member. We should play together again._

 _Heichou to TitanKiller: Wish I could say the same, but I suppose you'll get better with practice._

Eren took it as the closest thing to a compliment he would get from the other man.

The two played together for many hours in the upcoming week, even exchanging Skypes and real names to better chat with each other during matches. They didn't ever use video, deeming it unnecessary and too likely to cause a lag, but they did sometimes still chat while playing different games.

Eventually they even started to talk about their personal lives. Eren even let it slip accidentally that his friends were taking him to Wall Maria, the local bar, one night.

"You don't mean in Sina, do you?" Levi asked.

"Yeah….why?" He sounded confused and unsure if he should have actually answered.

Eren heard a muffled "Are you fucking kidding me?" over skype.

"What is it, Levi?" Eren was a little concerned now.

"I live in Sina, too." He answered with a sigh.

"Well shit."

"Yeah…" Levi trailed off, unsure where to go from there.

"I mean, that kinda makes things easier. If you wanted to, we could meet up somewhere and game together instead of using Skype. I think it would be fun, but that could just be me." Eren rambled a little, excited.

"That would be easier…" Levi sounded defeated, as if he was being forced.

"I honestly can't think of anywhere with good enough internet that would let us yell like we normally do though…"

Eren let out a small chuckle as he pictured the two of them being kicked out of a cafe for causing a commotion.

"That's a fair point." The grumpy man let out another sigh. "How about you come to my place then? I can only imagine what a bratty college kids place looks like."

"Hey! My place is clean! My roommate would kill me otherwise." Eren glanced at the time on the screen. "Shit. I've gotta go, Levi. But yeah, I'll come over some time if you'll let me. I think it'll be awesome. Just message me or something. Bye. Good luck on your match!"

"I don't need luck." Levi replied flatly before ending the call.

Eren got around and prepared for his night out with friends, the grumpy man still on his mind.

It was about a week later that they finally made plans to meet up. Levi opting to meet at the local sandwich shop before Eren could come over, for safety and all that.

Levi was already sitting at a table, a cup of coffee and a half eaten sandwich in front of him.

Eren walked over nervously, unsure if he even had the right person.

Levi was a little shorter than Eren imagined. His black hair shaved on the underside, a military haircut. He was clad in jeans and a white tee-shirt.

"Levi?" Eren inquired nervously.

"Eren?" Levi eyes locked on Eren's.

Eren stuck his hand out and Levi took it, shaking it briefly.

"Nice to finally put a face with that grouchy voice." Eren chuckled.

Their relationship had mainly consisted of roasting each other to this point, and Eren hoped it wouldn't change now. Even if he found the man in front of him oddly attractive. He even had a decent personality. Maybe a little flirting would be okay?

"I can actually say it's nice to put a face with your voice, too." Levi raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. "Well, are you going to get some food or are you ready to go kick some ass?"

"Let me grab a sandwich and I'll follow you to your place?" Eren suggested.

Levi nodded. "Alright. I'll wait here then."

Eren ordered an egg salad sandwich and returned to the table where the older man sat.

"All set, _Heichou_." Eren laughed again, bumping Levi's shoulder slightly.

Levi didn't make a face or move in a way that suggested he didn't like being touched. Eren took that as a small win.

Eren ate his sandwich as he drove behind Levi back to his house.

It was decent sized home with two bedroom and two bath with a small kitchen and a large enough living room to fit a 60" television and stand, a coffee table, a couch, and a chair. The theme throughout seemed to be grey and blue, or at least it was in the living room and kitchen.

"You can set up wherever you want. There's plugs pretty much anywhere to plug in your laptop."

Eren decided to sit on the end of the couch, hoping that Levi would pick the couch as well.

He took his laptop out of his bag along with his mouse and set it on the table in front of him. He then grabbed his cord and plugged it into the socket next to the end of the couch.

Levi turned on his TV and laptop, opting for the same layout Eren had used in the previous weeks.

"Alright, you ready?" Levi asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Let's do this." Eren was getting into it now.

They started playing and won all of their first several games. It helped that their other team members were competent, too. Especially when they got pitted against people many levels higher than themselves.

They made jokes and small talk during skirmishes and waiting periods. Eren even flirted a little, which was usually responded to in-kind. Though Eren thought he could just be reading what he wanted to. Levi even made a couple shit jokes during a match. Eren almost died because he couldn't see his screen through the tears coming from laughing so hard at that time.

They played until an ungodly hour in the morning. The sun even started to peek-in through the curtains in the living room.

Eren let out a yawn, causing his eyes to water a little.

"Wanna call it a night?" Levi asked, raising his hands above his head to stretch.

"Yeah, I mean the Sun is already out. Jesus. How do we manage to do this?" Eren chuckled.

It wasn't hard for the two of them to get lost in their gaming. It had even cost Eren a couple homework grades when he didn't realize he forgot them until they were already past due because he had been up all night playing with Levi. Not that he would tell him that.

"I'm not sure either."

This time it was Levi's turn to let out a yawn.

"How far away do you live from here?" Levi asked.

"Probably about 20 minutes or so...I think." Eren replied, unsure.

"Hmmm. Well you're welcome to crash here for a bit if you want. I'd feel responsible if you fell asleep and crashed on your way home. So if you don't think you can make it or don't want to risk it, I've got a spare room." Levi motioned over his shoulder to emphasize that he had space for him.

"I think I might take you up on that, then." He let out another yawn.

They powered down their devices and Levi led him to his bed for the night.

"If you need anything I'm literally right next door. I'm going to be sleeping like the dead though, so I don't know how much use I'll be."

"Alright, thanks." Eren said, making his way to the bed.

"Night, Eren."

"Night, Levi."

Levi lingered a moment in the doorway, Eren stopped by the bed. It was strange, but Eren let it go.

Eren stripped down to his boxers and laid under the covers. He closed his eyes and realized he forgot to turn the light off.

When he got up to turn it off, there was a knock on his bedroom door. Eren made his way over to it and opened it. It didn't even occur to him that he was answer the door in his underwear.

Levi was on the other side of the door, still in what he had worn earlier.

"Uhh…" He trailed off.

His eyes glanced over Eren's body. His eyebrows shooting up from surprise. From the surprise of Eren in his underwear or the fact that Eren actually had a decent body? A little of both.

Eren looked down at himself confused before realizing what he had done.

"Shit."

He didn't even bother to fix anything, it was already too late.

"So, what's up?" Eren asked, much more awake now.

"I was just gonna ask if you'd rather sleep with me." Levi said with a smirk on his face, still eyeing Eren's body.

A blush formed on the younger boys cheeks.

"I mean…." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah." He finished.

Levi led him into his room next door and promptly shut the door behind him.

Eren was pushed down so he was sitting on the bed.

Levi straddled Eren, wrapping his arms around the boys neck. Eren instinctively placed his hands on Levi's ass.

Levi bent in slowly. "Is it okay if I kiss you?" He asked, making sure he hadn't read the situation wrong.

Eren simply nodded his head. It was all Levi needed.

He brought his lips to meet Eren's. Their kisses were soft and sleepy.

Finally, Levi had to break away to yawn, which then caused Eren to yawn as well. Both of them chuckled at the situation.

"Alright, now it's finally time for bed." Levi said, moving off of Eren.

Levi shut off the light as Eren got under the covers, pulling them back for Levi as he returned.

They both slept like the dead until the afternoon, tangled up in each other's arms.


	9. Day 9: Ackerman Enterprises (Part 3)

Eren's day at work finished without a hitch. They were dead most of the day, allowing Eren to finish everything he needed to do before he left.

He returned to his apartment at around five in the afternoon. He quickly changed into his favorite grey sweatpants and a white tee. He was going to spend the rest of the day lazing about no matter what.

Or, that was the plan at least.

The door to the apartment slammed shut and Eren cringed.

"Eren?!" The blonde headed boy yelled.

"What?!" He yelled back..

The blonde boy ran into his room, tears streaming his face. His eyes were already red. Armin was shaking with his sobs.

"What the fuck happened, Armin?"

Eren quickly wrapped his arms around the boy, trying to provide some sort of comfort. It seemed to work as he relaxed into Eren's grasp. His tried to stifle his sobs to reply, but it was easier said than done.

"It's okay. Take all the time you need, no rush." Eren comforted him, noticing the blonde was frustrated he couldn't stop crying long enough to explain the situation.

Eren gave Armin another squeeze before getting up to get his friend some tissues.

The sobs began to quiet and Armin could talk again. Eren sat patiently next to him for him to begin.

"Jean, that horse-faced _bastard_." Armin started.

Eren could already tell where this was going. The blonde boy had been dating Jean for about a month now, but Armin had liked him for a long time before that.

"H-He got drunk at some stupid party and slept with _Marco_." Armin was composing himself now, trading the sadness for anger.

"I can't believe he would do that!" He got up, pacing the room. "Ya know what...yeah I can. I should've fucking known. I can't believe I like that asshole!

He froze, his back to Eren, for a brief moment. He then rushed back and sat next to Eren, grasping Eren's hand in his own.

"Come on, we're gonna _drink_ tonight! We'll go out to that new bar downtown!"

Eren, being the sensible one for the first time in a _very_ long time, was against the idea.

"Don't we have to go to that photoshoot tomorrow of Levi?"

" _Levi…?"_ Armin raised an eyebrow at the familiar tone Eren had used when saying the business man's name.

"Mr. Ackerman? You know...that guy that's giving the speech at our graduation?" Eren tried to play it off, which seemed to work.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Armin sighed defeated.

"Plus, I'm pretty sure Reiner would kill you if you showed up hungover. You know how into his photography he is." Eren chuckled. "How about we go out tomorrow, to celebrate everything. But tonight we can binge watch Netflix and finish off that container of cookies & cream ice cream?"

Armin nodded and went to his room to change into his pajamas. Eren turned on the xbox in the living room and brought up Netflix, leaving the controller out for Armin to decide what to watch. He then got the ice cream out of the freezer, deeming bowels worthless and just grabbing two spoons.

They both sat down on the couch, Armin flipping through movies while Eren started to devour the ice cream.

"How does Heathers sound?" Armin questioned.

"Whatever you wanna watch is fine, Armin." Eren said his mouth full of ice cream.

Armin sat the controller down and yanked the tub from Eren.

They both fell asleep on the couch, cuddled together. This had been part of their relationship for the longest time.

They woke up to Armin's phone ringing obnoxiously loud. The boys groaned in unison, not ready to accept the fact that they needed to start their day.

"Come on, Eren." Armin's voice was low and filled with sleep.

Eren just groaned.

Armin sat up and pulled Eren with him. He shook the brunette boy to wake him up.

Eren finally opened his eyes and stretched, watching as Armin got up and put on a pot of coffee.

"I'm gonna get a shower first." Eren yawned.

He got up from the couch, nearly crashing into the coffee table. He was too tired to be steady on his feet. Hopefully a cool shower would wake him up.

He got around for the day, opting for a pair of nice jeans and a Ramones shirt to wear to the photoshoot this morning. There was no need for him to dress up, he wasn't the one getting his picture taken, right?

He decided to change. Swapping his Ramones tee for a plaid button-up with the sleeves rolled up. Casual but not a t-shirt. It was some sort of an upgrade, right?

Eren didn't know why he was trying so hard this morning. It was just Levi he thought. Or maybe that's what it was.

Armin called for him from the kitchen.

Eren walked out and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Ready to go?" Armin asked with a yawn.

"Yeah, just let me grab my keys and wallet."

He took a long sip of his coffee, savoring the warmth and the much needed caffeine.

He grabbed his things and followed Armin out of the apartment and into the blonde's car, since Eren didn't have one.

The ride there was relatively short. The hotel the shoot was being held at was in downtown Sina.

They walked in, both surprised they had showed up a little early. Reiner was still setting up. Eren decided to help while Armin sat back and went over the references that he had given Reiner for what he was hoping for during the photoshoot today.

They were almost finished when Levi Ackerman walked in. He was in black slacks, belt, and pure white dress shirt that was tucked in. The rolled-up sleeves and first button undone on the shirt nearly made Eren have an attack. The older man looked younger and far more attractive than Eren thought should be legal.

"Goodmorning, boys." Levi said with a small wave.

"Mornin'" The boys said in synch.

"So what's the plan for this morning?" Levi questioned, looking at the various lights around the room.

Armin handed him the same reference photos that he had given Reiner.

"Well, I was hoping for some similar to this. But Reiner, as well as you, are going to be the ones actually deciding. I just want it to look relaxed, really." Armin gave a small shrug of the shoulders.

"Well I hope I'll be able to model to your standards." Levi chuckled slightly.

"I'm sure there won't be a problem." Armin smiled.

Levi introduced himself to Reiner, who remained as composed as Armin. Eren had begun to feel warmer the moment Levi walked through the door of the hotel room. He fiddled with his hair and his phone, waiting for Levi to notice him or say something.

Levi spotted the tall brunette boy as he sat backwards on a chair for Reiner. A smirk appeared on his face and a range of emotions flickering in his eyes. Reiner captured the look on his face as he snapped a photo.

That's how the entire photoshoot went. Levi glancing-not so subtly- at the younger boy. Eren tried to take his mind off of how good Levi looked posing on the various pieces of furniture in the suite.

Eren was conversing with Armin, trying to keep his thoughts away from the short living piece of art that was a mere couple feet away.

He was talking to Eren about attire for graduation when Levi walked up to the two. The same smug smirk visible on his face.

"Armin. _Eren_." He said with a nod to them both.

The way he said Eren's name sent a chill down his spine. Luckily, Armin didn't notice it, commenting on how well the shoot went and thanking him for his time.

Levi said goodbye to everyone, saying he had some more business to attend to today and that he needed to be on his way.

He made sure to fuck with Eren before he left though. He had separated from Armin while Levi and him chatted, opting to help Reiner breakdown the set. Leaving him open and between Levi and the door.

Levi came up and whispered in his ear. "I hope you liked what you saw, because I sure did." Brushed Eren's shoulder as he did so.

He glanced at the blush growing on Eren's cheeks and simply walked out, content.

Armin gave Eren a curious glance, noticing Eren turning into a tomato by himself.

"Are you okay, Eren? Do you have a fever or something?" Armin sounded a little concerned.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little warm in here." Eren chuckled nervously.

They wrapped everything up and Armin and Eren said goodbye to Reiner.

It was a little after noon when the boys arrived home.

They decided to watch some more Netflix as they texted all their friends. Connie, Sasha, Ymir, Annie, Christa, Bert, and Reiner had all agreed to come out tonight to help celebrate. The group would meet at Wall Maria at nine that night, leaving everyone with plenty of time to get around and eat before they drank themselves silly.

Armin and Eren started getting around at seven. Eren wore a pair of darker wash jeans and a loose grey-blue v-neck tee. He thought about adding a beanie, but knew he'd lose it by the end of the night if he took it out.

Armin wore khakis and a blue short-sleeved button-up. And unlike Eren's mess of hair, he had taken special care to make sure that each strand was in place.

Bert showed up at a quarter to nine to give them a ride to the bar. Everyone knew that Eren and Armin were going to be in no condition to drive by the time everyone was ready to leave. Luckily Bert wasn't much of a drinker and offered to be the designated driver for the night. Given how rowdy their group could be, it was a good idea to have a sober body anyway.

They pulled in a couple minutes before nine, being the first to arrive. The three boys grabbed a table in the back and waited for everyone to gather. It wasn't long before everyone arrived, and only a minute more before everyone had finished their first drink and were on to their second.

It was only ten when everyone had started to slow down their drinking, trying to just maintain their buzz for now. The group was out dancing on the floor in their drunken state. Armin and Eren dancing together, Connie and Sasha grinding, even Ymir and Christa were on the dance floor. Reiner decided to keep Bert company watching over the drinks, even though he was quite tipsy and was flirting horribly with the tall man.

Another hour passed and Eren and Armin were hitting the drunk stage.

"I've gotta pee…" Eren stated, setting his drink down on the table.

He walked over to the line in the bathroom, only wobbling slightly.

He pulled out his phone and went through his contacts until he read the name _Levi Ackerman_. He had put the number in there 'just in case.' Unfortunately for Eren, that meant it was also a number that was easily accessible when he was drunk at the bar.

He hit the name and pressed call.

It rang once, then twice. Suddenly a groggy voice answered. "Hello?"

"Well hello there, _Levi._ " He said the name with a little bite.

"Eren?" Levi questioned, confused.

"Yes?" Eren asked, slurring the word a bit.

There was a small sigh. "Have you been drinking?"

"Listen, Mr. Fancy Pants." Eren started. "I don't know what your deal is, but there is no need to lead me on, okay? It's ruuuude. I know that there's no way th-"

He was cut off by the now fully-awake businessman. "Where are you?" The question was short.

"Why does it matter?" Eren laughed harshly.

"Where. Are. You?" Levi asked again, this time much harsher.

"I'm at Wall Maria." Eren sighed, defeated.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Levi hung up before Eren could argue with him.

The line moved up and Eren entered the bathroom to relieve himself.

Trying to cool down he wandered outside, leaving his friends to dance and drink in the warm bar.

It wasn't long before some very rude gentleman came up and tried to flirt with Eren. Though, 'flirt' might be an overstatement. The guy was coming on very strong and was making Eren uncomfortable.

"Come on now, boy. I could show you a good time." The man slurred, putting his hand on Eren's shoulder.

"Can't you tell the brat looks uncomfortable?"

Eren recognized the low, steely voice immediately. He whipped his head around to spot Levi in the same clothes he had worn earlier. The same button-up that made a blush creep onto Eren's cheeks.

The man released his grip on Eren with a grunt and walked away.

Eren ran over to Levi, latching onto him.

"Thanks" Eren whispered.

"Come on, let's get out of here before someone else tries something with you."

"No, I can't leave yet."

Levi looked confused. "Why not?" His voice wasn't as sharp anymore.

"I've at least gotta tell Bert, he was gonna be the one to take me home." Eren's slur was becoming more apparent now, the tequila shots he had really kicking in.

"Alright, fine. Let's go." Levi led him back into the bar.

"Where are they?" Levi yelled, trying to keep his voice over the music.

"Ummm…" Eren looked around, forgetting where they were. "That way!" He finally pointed to the table where the group was sitting.

Eren pulled Levi along with him to the table.

"Hey, guys. Um, Mr. Grumpy Pants is gonna take me back tonight, okay?"

Levi's mouth twitched into a smile at the interesting nickname he had received.

"Alright, be safe." Bert said, eyeing Levi up and down.

"I will be." Eren led Levi away at that.

"Anything else?" Levi asked amused.

"Nope!" Eren seemed a lot cheerier now.

Levi led him to his black Audi.

"Let me know if I need to pull over so you can barf, got it? Because I'm telling you right now, if you get _anything_ on my car, I will leave you on the side of the road." Levi said harshly.

Eren disregarded how curt Levi was and simply nodded his head.

"I'll have you know, I'm pretty good about keeping my alcohol down." Eren huffed with pride.

"I'm sure you are."

Levi drove them back to the hotel where he was staying while he had business in Sina.

Eren clumsily got out of the car. Levi couldn't stand watching the boy wobble, deciding to just carry him upstairs before he hurt himself or others.

Eren squeaked as his feet left the floor, thinking that this was the most hilarious thing in the world. It was even contagious to Levi.

The older man carried Eren all the way up to his room bridal style. He only set him down long enough to open the hotel room door. It was slightly smaller than the suite that they used earlier that day, but clearly not the standard room.

Levi sat him down on the bed, taking off the boys shoes.

"Time for bed, you brat." Levi said, noticing Eren squirming around on the bed.

"But it's so early" Eren whined, dragging out the last word.

"Nope. Time for bed."

Levi pulled the covers over Eren and sat at the desk on the other side of the room.

Levi watched as Eren squirmed under the covers again. This time, however, the squirming ended with Eren's pants landing on the floor.

Levi's eyes widened a little as he watched the young boy stare back at opted to ignore the look Eren gave him and typed away at the laptop in front of him.

The next time Levi looked over, Eren was dead to the world, snoring softly.

Levi chuckled at the sight.


	10. Day 10: Party

"It was your idea to meet my friends." The younger boy said with a chuckle.

"I know, this is my own fault." Levi sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

The guys were currently sitting on a couch surrounded by 'kids'-as Levi referred to them. There was a light fog in the room from people lighting cigarettes and god-knows what else. It smelled of weed and spilt booze, reminding Levi of his rebellious younger years.

"So much for my 'good boy' impression of you," Levi's words were laced with sarcasm.

"We can't all be goody two shoes like you, Levi. Sorry to disappoint." Eren rolled his eyes.

Eren got up to get another drink, asking if Levi wanted anything. Of course he did. How else was the poor guy going to get through the night without a little liquid courage. He was surrounded by college kids six years his junior in an environment he hadn't been in since his own college days. It was a little weird, even to him.

Eren returned with a red solo cup filled with Jack and Coke, while Eren had his own cup filled with Everclear and punch. Levi knew he was going to be the one taking care of Eren later if the boy kept up this pace.

He took a swig of what was in his cup, his eyes widening slightly. Levi didn't know if the boy was too gone to portion out liquor correctly, which he doubted, or he was trying to get Levi drunk. The smirk on the younger boy's face made it clear which assumption was correct.

"Cheeky brat." Levi mumbled, going in for another sip. He was very glad he could handle his alcohol, especially his whiskey.

Eren dragged Levi around to introduce him to everyone once the entire room had a nice buzz going to it. Everyone seemed to be overjoyed that Eren finally brought his boyfriend along. Each one giving their own spin on 'if you hurt him, we hurt you.' It was nice knowing Eren's friends looked out for him, even if Levi was getting threatened in the process.

Eventually their rounds were made, Eren a little tipsy. He could walk straight, but his judgement was definitely impaired as he not-so-subtly made passes at Levi. Accidentally brushing up against him here, a hand on his thigh there. The older man was quite amused.

"I think you need another drink." Eren chuckled, his cheeks tinted from the alcohol.

"If you insist." Levi let out a slight chuckle as well. It was endearing how easily Levi could read the brunette boy.

He took Levi's empty cup and left to go to the kitchen, making sure to sway his hips as he did so. He even turned around and added a lip bite for good measure.

Levi thought the boy would be the death of him.

He returned a moment later, his own cup filled as well.

"They ran outta the Jack." Eren said over the music. Someone had turned it up while Eren was creating his concoction.

"What is this then?" The black-haired man raised a curious eyebrow at the red slush in his cup.

Eren smirked. "It's just a strawberry margarita."

Levi eyed the boy, knowing he wasn't telling the whole truth.

He took a sip and knew immediately that it was over 75% straight tequila.

"Shit, Eren. Are you trying to kill me?" Levi spit around the burn in his throat and nasty after taste.

The brunette boy laughed hysterically, handing Levi a lime he had in his hand.

"Do you wanna see me drunk that badly?" He eyed the taller boy standing in front of the couch.

"Kinda, yeah. I'm sorry." He looked like he felt bad at least.

Levi let out a sigh before downing the glass in his hand, making a face as he set the cup down.

"Levi! You didn't need to do that!" Eren rushed, a little flabbergasted and very impressed.

"Well too late now, brat."

Levi stood up, seeing how hard it had hit him. He shook his limbs out and twisted his head, seeing how dizzy he felt. Not super dizzy, but certainly didn't have the best reflexes right now.

"Are you drunk enough to dance?" Eren questioned the older man, biting his lip hopefully.

Levi gave a sigh, but a smirk was on his lips. He grabbed the younger boys wrist and dragged him to where everyone else was dancing. Eren didn't have time to process what was happening as Levi twisted him around, pressing his front to the taller boys back. Not that Eren minded.

The younger boy placed his hands over Levi's, guiding them to his hips. Levi kissed the crook of Eren's neck as the two swayed to the music. It wasn't long before the song changed. Eren recognized it right away and glanced at Connie.

The boy with the shaved head brought out a chair as the crowd dispersed.

Eren pushed Levi down on the chair quickly, straddling him. This time it was Levi who was unable to keep up.

 _Baby you're no good_

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders. He slowly ground his hips on Levi's. Levi's hands instinctively rested on Eren's thighs. The brunette's hands wandered over Levi's torso, teasing him as he held onto the top of his pants and continued moving his hips in circles over Levi, leaning left and right as he did so.

He leaned in like he was gonna kiss the older man, who closed his eyes in anticipation. Instead he whispered in Levi's ear.

"It's better if the receiver actively participates." Eren teased, and even with his eyes closed Levi could tell he was smirking.

At that Levi gripped Eren's hips and brought him down hard, raising his own hips to meet the brunettes. Both gasped at the sensation.

Neither of the boys had paid any attention to their surroundings until a whistle caught their attention, both simply laughing at the response. Levi didn't know it, but this was Eren's thing at their parties, though he recently stopped when he began seeing Levi.

Eren got off of Levi, slowly. He placed his hands on Levi's knees and pushed them apart as slid down, eyes hooded and staring at the lust-blown grey ones in front of him.

 _I'm touching on your body_

Eren turned around and slowly ascended, keeping his weight on Levi's thighs and sticking his ass out to Levi, who playfully slapped it. Eren bit his lip as he raised the bottom of his shirt slightly, exposing the tan skin underneath and a peek at his happy trail, still moving sensually to the music.

Eren opted not to remove his shirt in front of the crowd, which Levi was both thankful for and disappointed by.

He sat on the older man's lap, placing Levi's hands back on his hip as he moved circles around the strain in Levi's jean. He moved in time with the music, which was achingly slow for the older man.

The song ended and both men were red faced, breathing a little heavy.

Then cheers erupted around the room. People congratulating Eren for his performance and telling Levi how lucky he was, which he couldn't deny.

They both made their way into the kitchen for a drink, which was much needed after that. Both not even trying to hide the erection in their pants.

Eren poured himself a glass of water, taking a sip before passing it to Levi who nodded in thanks.

"So, are you ready to get out of here?" Eren asked, fidgeting.

"Would you stop biting your lip?" Levi huffed. He was pinning Eren to the counter as the last word left his mouth.

Eren melted into his kiss with Levi. It was intense and needy. Both of them unsure if they could make it back to either of their apartments before jumping each others bones.

"I'll take that as a yes." Eren chuckled between kisses.

The brunette boy waved bye to his friends as he dragged the older man out of the apartment. Both stumbling a little, intoxicated from more than just the alcohol now.

It was a long trip back to the apartment for both of them.


	11. Day 11: Pumpkin Spice

The weather had gotten chilly, the couple walking as close as possible without stumbling over each other. Eren's hand was stuffed in Levi's pocket, their fingers intertwined. Each taking in the scenery around them, the gorgeous range of yellow to brown leaves crunching under their shoes as they walked. There were even some Halloween decorations out already, which Levi thought was a little ridiculous, considering Halloween was a month away.

The couple walked into their new favorite coffee shop, _Over the Wall_. It was rather shabby on the outside, but the interior was warm and was filled with warn books.

"Hey guys!" The perky ginger from behind the counter smiled at them.

They'd become regulars quick enough. It was convenient since Levi's apartment was only about a ten minute walk away.

"Hey, Petra!" Eren returned the female's enthusiasm, showing off a bright smile of his own. Levi simply nodded at the peppy person behind the counter.

"Are you guys getting the usual today?" She questioned, her hand already over the biggest cups the cafe carried.

"I think I'll try that pumpkin Spice Latte." Levi said, taking both of them by surprise.

"What? Am I not allowed to try new things?" He gave a glare to the two staring at him, though there wasn't any heat behind it, or if there was, they ignored it.

Eren raised his hands up defensively. "You can. I just need to know if the world is gonna end tomorrow." He teased the older man, bumping their shoulders together playfully.

Levi simply rolled his eyes.

"Here you are, boys." The light-ginger haired lady set down a large hot mocha coffee with an extra shot of espresso, a fancy ' _E'_ on the side of the cup, next to it a large pumpkin spice latte, both with extra whipped cream, of course.

"You'll have to tell me what you think of that latte next time." Petra said as she waved the boys off.

They stumbled back into the cold, Eren's hand finding its place back in Levi's jacket pocket.

Levi raised his cup up to take a sip, the smell of pumpkin hitting him. He took a sip, Eren watching him curiously.

"So, how is it?" Eren asked, his eyes wide with excitement. Levi didn't know why the boy was so excited, but he imagined it had something to do with the older man trying something different, which he normally didn't do.

"I can definitely see what the hype is about." He chuckled.

Eren swiftly took his hand out of Levi's pocket and stole the cup.

"Oi, brat. You have your own drink!" Levi reached for it, but it was too late.

"I can see what you mean! I think I might have to get one next time, too." Eren chuckled.

The taller boy tried to hand Levi the mocha, but he was having none of it. The shorter man stole his coffee back, keeping both hands on it now.

Eren blinked between Levi, his jacket pocket, and his hand for a minute. He wasn't used to it not being in Levi's jacket anymore. That had been their thing since Autumn started after all.

He pouted, shoving it in his pocket and trying to enjoy the taste of his own warm delight.

Levi glanced at the younger boy and chuckled. _Serves him right_ , the older man thought, taking sips of his latte and savoring the flavor and heat he brought him.

They arrived back at Levi's apartment still separated, much to Eren's dismay and Levi's amusement. He almost wished the younger boy would just yank his hand back, but this was entertaining too.

Once they were inside, they stripped off their extra layers and shoes, taking care to hang the coats up and keep the shoes on the mat.

Levi placed his coffee down on the kitchen counter as he reached for some snacks before they started their movie date.

Eren took this opportunity to take another sip of Levi's delicious seasonal latte.

He then walked up to the shorter man, wrapping his arms around his waist. Levi was the perfect little heater for Eren.

Levi turned around in Eren's arms, wrapping his own around the taller boy's neck before bringing their lips together in a chaste kiss. Eren, however, wasn't ready to let it end there. He licked the raven-haired man's lower lip, asking to deepen the kiss, which Levi gladly allowed.

They both tasted of pumpkin spice Levi noted. The smell of the autumn air around them from their recent trek outside. It was the perfect fall kiss in Levi's mind.


	12. Day 12: Road Trip

Eren eyed the package his boyfriend had given him suspiciously. It was a normal manila envelope, the outside completely void of anything that might give its contents away. Eren tried shaking it to see if he could make it out by sound.

"Just fucking open it, Jaeger." The older man laughed out.

There was a spark in Levi's eyes that Eren rarely saw. The black-haired man was excited for this, which further increased the younger boys curiosity.

He ripped the top open and poured the contents out onto his lap. A map of the continental U.S. fell out. Eren couldn't hide the confusion on his face.

"Thanks…" Eren tried to sound cheerful, bless his heart.

Levi snatched the map from his idiotic boyfriends hands. He opened up the giant map and laid it out on the floor. The red marker now visible on the map. There was a line from where they lived on the East Coast all the way to Colorado, somewhere Eren had always wanted to go.

"You don't mean…" Eren let the sentence hang as his eyes widened.

Levi nodded his head at the brunette that was now sitting on the floor, tracing the details of the map with his finger.

"You're seriously taking me on an almost-cross-continental fucking road trip?!" Eren's voice raised an octave or two as he asked the older man again.

"Yes I am." Levi's eyes crinkled as he genuinely smiled, pleased by Eren's reaction.

The taller boy flung himself across the map and onto Levi, nearly crushing him in the hardest hug he could muster.

A string of rapid 'Thank Yous' left Eren's mouth as he kissed Levi's entire face.

"Alright, alright." Levi chuckled. "You don't even know all the details yet."

"Well then spill already!" Eren sat back, that shit-eating grin still on his face.

"I was getting there." Levi tried to collect himself, but he was already excited and Eren's excitement only made it worse.

"Alright, so we leave in a week and it's a week long trip there the way I have it scheduled, but I took an entire month of work, so we really don't need to worry about time. I didn't want us to have to rush during any of this." A warm smile played on Levi's lips as he stared at the younger boy, who was fidgeting like a small child. "Everything on the trip is my expense, too. There's no need for a broke college kid to pay for this. I just want you to enjoy your summer holiday."

Levi reached over and tousled Eren's hair. The younger boy, unable to control himself anymore, pulled him into a kiss, a deep, passionate, thankful kiss.

They broke away with a grin on both of their lips.

"So, in the next week, we've gotta shop for supplies and pack." Levi finished, a little breathless.

Eren nodded his head violently, unable to form any real words at the moment.

Unable to convince Eren to calm down, Levi got dragged out shopping that night for things Eren thought they would need. Ranging from pillows to coolers and new sunglasses. Eren even picked out some new clothes for Levi, claiming the older man needed something more comfortable than slacks if he was going to be sitting in a car for an ungodly amount of hours, no matter how much fun they'd have. Levi couldn't really argue with him.

When the day of the trip arrived, the bed of Levi's black F-150 contained more luggage than the two men probably needed, but better to overpack than underpack. Eren placed a bag of snacks from the supermarket on the backseat and a cooler filled with drinks behind Levi's seat for easy access.

The brunette boy could not shut up about the trip that they were about to go on. Levi already regretted giving the boy access to caffeine and it was only 5AM. Eren had been very adamant about starting the trip off by the watching the sunrise as they left their town of residence.

After spending a couple hours on the road happily chatting with one another, Eren fished his phone out of his pocket. There were several missed messages from his friends asking how the trip was going thus far and where they were. Honestly? They had no fucking idea. They opted against using a GPS are were winging it for the most part, and when they did decide to look it up, they used the handing dandy map that Levi originally gifted Eren.

He took a second to reply to everyone, letting 'em know he was on the road and that they were somewhere in the United States. He then connected his phone to the bluetooth in the truck and started playing the playlist him and Levi had come up with the day before. It consisted of AC/DC, Lady Gaga, even Panic! At The Disco and everything in-between. They had a hard time picking out songs, knowing full well they would probably listen to the same five songs until they wanted to rip their ears off.

Eren heard the opening of _Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time_ and immediately turned the volume as far as Levi would let him. He sang out the lyrics while Levi smiled at his ridiculous boyfriend.

The Eren Karaoke Show lasted until noon, when Eren decided he was hungry and Levi could use the opportunity to stretch his legs.

They found a rest area somewhere in the middle of butt-fucked Egypt. There were no other cars and a quaint little picnic area surrounded by trees. Levi parked the truck and Eren grabbed the sandwiches he made before they left along with two Cokes and a bag of regular ol' chips. Levi grabbed some napkins from in the armrest (because he was prepared for Eren to make a mess and they were multi-purpose), and followed Eren to the picnic table of his choosing.

Eren set the sandwich bag of ham and turkey sandwiches on the table along with all of the other lunch necessities. Levi set a napkin down in front of each of them for Eren to pass out the meaty delights. He set two sandwiches on each of the napkins and opened the family-sized bag of Lays.

It was a perfect little lunch date. The boys conversing about where they thought they were and the scenery in front of them. A comfortable silence took over before the boys decided to end their lunch break.

Noticing Levi still trying to stretch out his legs before they got back in, Eren offered to drive. Levi was hesitant at first, scared Eren will kill them both in the next hour. The desire to stretch out and enjoy the scenery like the younger boy had gotten to up until now took over though.

Levi sighed and threw the keys to Eren. He put the leftovers in the backseat and opened the driver side door. He made sure to move the seat back before he even attempted to sit in the seat, knowing how great the difference in leg length was between him and the significantly shorter older man.

The tall boy got comfortable and they were on their way again. This time, Levi got to pick the music. Which meant a mixture of AC/DC and rap, causing Eren to chuckle. The music choice definitely didn't suit the dark-haired man, but Eren couldn't help but love the contrast.

They drove until they were Lexington, Kentucky, at about three in the afternoon. They had plenty of time to soak in the sights of the state, noting some of the differences between there and Eastern Virginia. Eren noticed how many signs they had passed since entering the state that talked about caves and cave exploring.

They got a hotel room right outside of Lexington and crashed there for the night, calling it quits a little early, knowing that Eren wouldn't let them sleep in come morning.

The two cuddled and watched movies for the rest of the night. At some point during whatever scary movie was on, Levi noticed Eren had passed the fuck out and was snoring contently. Levi threw the covers over them and joined his lover in peaceful sleep.

Even without the alarm set, Eren was awake at six A.M. Levi couldn't-and didn't want to-comprehend how Eren could pass up an opportunity to sleep in, he assumed it was that youthful energy that he had lost many years ago. But lucky for the older man, Eren wanted to enjoy the sight of a peacefully sleeping Levi. It was one of the few times that Levi's face was completely relaxed. Eren did notice that since they left for the trip that the furrow that normally came with Levi's eyebrows had significantly diminished. He smiled, knowing that Levi was already relaxing and it had only been a day.

There trip continued in a similar manner for the next three days. Eren and Levi alternated driving before and after lunch and got a hotel and explored whatever city they decided to stay that night. They made sure to pick up some sort of souvenir at every city they camped at, from a town map they got at the hotel to shot glasses from the gas station.

The day they were to arrive in Denver, Eren refused to let Levi sleep in, much to his dismay. He was up and bustling, determined to take the morning turn to drive so he would have the afternoon to take in all of the Colorado sights. He even let Levi have the radio the whole day, too excited to care what they were listening to.

Eren broke down in tears as they saw a sign with the word 'Denver' on it, causing Levi to freak out a little...or a lot.

"What the fucks wrong, Eren?!" He asked in a panic.

"I-I'm just so happy.." He sniffed and wiped his tears away. "Thank you so much for this Levi. I love you so fucking much. God, you have no idea how much you mean to me."

The younger, sobbing boy picked up Levi's hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing hard.

A warm, loving smile appeared on Levi's face as relief washed over his features. It was worth it just to see the smile on Eren's face on the way here for him. He loved the younger boys laugh, his goofy grin, and the way he rambled when he got excited. The trip was just as much for him as it was for Eren. The raven haired man was addicted to Eren's laugh, it was the best high he could get, and knowing that he would be able to see it constantly for the trip made the decision for Levi to somehow pull it off not a decision at all really.

They spent the next two weeks exploring Colorado. They even made another road trip to visit Yellowstone, because why not? Eren bought all sorts of shit that said Colorado. Levi assumed it was so he wouldn't think it was a dream when they were forced to return to their normal lives.

Eren even convinced Levi to try weed for the first time, which is a story for another time, but let's just say Eren was definitely going to get Levi high again. The brunette didn't even think Levi's friends would believe him if he said that he convinced Levi to try weed and what he was like while high.

Once the trip was over, the boys returned to their own apartments. Eren tried his hardest to sleep in his own bed the first night back, but he couldn't relax. He ended up texting Levi to come get him because he couldn't not sleep together anymore. They guessed this is what happened when you spent an entire month with the person you were madly in love with. It was like they were highschool kids all over again, unable to be separated. Levi found it endearing, Eren just felt bad.


	13. Day 13: Ackerman Enterprises (Part 4)

The next morning, Eren woke up by himself. The boy sprawled out on a bed much too big for one. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up, trying to determine where he was and how he ended up there.

When the memories of the night before flooded back, Eren felt his cheeks heating up. His flopped back down against the fluffy pillows.

Glancing at the clock, it was only ten in the morning. Much earlier than Eren expected to be awake, given the amount of alcohol that had entered his system last night.

Eren jumped a little as he heard a door open in the living room area of the suite. It was only a moment later when a short, gorgeous black-haired man with steely grey eyes was waltzing into the room. Eren eyed him up and down, noticing the black running shorts that showed off his perfect legs, the grey t-shirt that had grown dark with sweat, and the way Levi's hair was disheveled, like he'd run his hands threw it several times.

"I see you're finally joining the rest of the living." Levi laughed lightly, running his hands threw his hair. Eren couldn't find it in himself to look away as the man did so, finding it too encaptivating.

"Umm...yeah." Was all Eren could manage in his horribly embarrassed state.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" The older man had a smirk on his face now.

"I think I remember most of it." Eren's face turned several shades darker as he thought back on the night.

"Do you remember calling me Mr. Grumpy Pants?" Levi glared at Eren a little, though he didn't put as much effort into it as he could have.

Eren's eyes widened a little, not recalling that small detail.

"Oh my god, Mr. Ackerman-" Eren started, but he was cut off.

Levi raised his hand to correct the boy. "Just Levi, please, _Eren._ "

Eren couldn't help the butterflies that appeared whenever Levi said his name. It just sounded so sensual coming from the businessman's mouth.

"I'm sorry... _Levi._ " Eren correct himself, looking up at the man standing in front of him for approval.

"Better. Now, there's some medicine and water on the table for your hangover. I also had my driver pick you up some clothes since yours were gross. The bathroom is over there so you can take a shower. I'll finish up my stretches in here until you're done showering." Levi motioned to the bathroom with a nod of the head and then walked back to the living room, where a nice green yoga mat was laid out. Eren didn't have time to comprehend what the man had just said, let alone reply.

Noticing the headache that had started to creep up, Eren swallowed the pills Levi had left him, very grateful for Levi's thoughtfulness. He then walked into the bathroom, which was luckily connected to the bedroom.

A nice, warm shower later, Eren felt refreshed and ready for the day. He walked out of the bathroom with just the towel on, it resting low on his hips.

Levi must've heard the shower shut off because he was in the bedroom as Eren stepped out. His pupils were blown as he unapologetically eyed Eren up and down.

Eren shifted uncomfortably as he made his way over to the bag that Levi had mentioned before. Inside was a nice cream sweater and a pair of jeans, both surprisingly in Eren's size. He grabbed them and set them on the bed, noticing a pair of nice Calvin Klein briefs at the bottom.

Before he could question anything, the door to the bathroom was shut and Levi was gone. A little grateful to not have to change in front of the guy he maybe, sorta, almost, probably had a crush on.

He changed, not rushing. He was further towel drying his mess of brown hair as Levi exited the bathroom. He wore the same thing Eren had earlier, just a towel that hung dangerously low on his hips.

It was Eren's turn to eye Levi now, though he seemed much more embarrassed about being caught than Levi had. Levi simply smirked at the way Eren was looking at him.

Giving him a little show, Levi walked past Eren and over to the closet. Once it was open, the towel that was already exposing too much dropped, along with Eren's jaw.

The younger boys breath hitched in his throat as Levi leaned forward and picked up a pair of briefs from a shelf in the closet. He slid them on in a way Eren found oddly erotic, though it could've just been the fact that it was Levi. He then threw on the rest of his outfit for the day, a black v-neck that clung to Levi's fit body in the most seductive way and a pair of jeans that cupped his ass just right.

He ran his fingers through his hair again as Eren continued watching him from where he stood.

"Alright, let's go. I'll take you home." Levi said, slipping on a pair of black boots.

Eren looked a little dejected but shook it off as he gathered his things, including a bag of the clothes he had on last night...which smelled horribly of beer.

If Levi noticed anything off about Eren he ignored it, not paying Eren any attention as he led the brunette back to his Audi.

Eren climbed inside nervously, setting the bag by his feet before buckling himself in.

"I-I live at Colossal Apartments." Eren nervously sputtered.

Levi simply gave a nod before they were off. The trip there was relatively short, not more than fifteen minutes. At the end of it, Eren got out of the car, gave Levi a thanks, and they went their separate ways. Levi gave no more than a single word of "bye" before he was pulling away from the curb.

Unwilling to talk about this to Armin, he tried his hardest to sneak into his apartment. Lucky for him, Armin must've been out getting lunch or something, because the apartment was dark and silent as he entered.

Wanting to clear his head, Eren grabbed his wallet and decided to walk down to the little coffee shop that he was just down the road. He left a note on the counter incase he returned before Armin, letting him know he was alive and that he'd be back again shortly.

Unfortunately, fate, destiny, luck, whatever you wanted to call it, had different plans for the brunette boy.


	14. Day 14: Bartender

"Come on, Eren." Armin whined, giving his brunette friend the best puppy dog eyes he could manage.

"Fine!" Eren threw his hands up, defeated. A small sigh escaping his lips.

Armin squealed in delight. Eren, on the other hand, was almost regretting letting Armin convince him to go to the bar already. Not that he didn't like the bars, he just didn't have a good alcohol tolerance.

He got ready with Armin, who insisted on dressing him for their night. Armin wore white v-neck and khakis, his hair parted perfectly, making sure every strand was in its place. Eren was dressed in his favorite black ass-hugging jeans and a grey band shirt that showed off his slight muscles in just the right way. Much to the blonde's disappointment, Eren drew the line at Armin trying to style his hair, content with his messy mop.

Eren drove them to the bar, convinced Armin would go home with this supposed Captain America looking guy that was the reason for this entire outing.

Eren found a parking spot and they walked into _Ailes_. The inside was dimly lit, but even so, Eren found it unexpectedly clean given how many drunks and idiots found their way into the establishment. Armin paid no mind to anything, making a beeline for the stools at the bar. The brunette felt a little overwhelmed, especially at how composed Armin was, but ignored it, knowing that Armin had been here before.

Armin took a seat next to a tall, built blond man who was wearing a business suit. Eren assumed it must've been the one he was trying to hook up with, choosing to sit a couple seats away.

Eren pulled out his phone and checked Twitter, clearly not one for social interaction.

"-get you?" Suddenly a cold tone was talking to him.

Eren blinked a couple times, looking up at the man in front of him. Dressed in a white button up with the sleeves rolled up above the elbow, a short black haired man glared at him.

"Huh?" Eren finally spat out.

The short man sucked his teeth sharply, " Tch. I asked if there was anything I could get you."

"Oh, um, what do you have that's light on alcohol?" Eren asked a little embarrassed.

Levi gave him a funny look for a brief moment before composing himself. "We have bottles of Kinky's if you want to try that. It's pretty fruity. Almost like a Mike's."

Eren's face lit up as Levi finished talking. He was a sucker for Mike's hards, so something like it couldn't be bad, right? "Sure, I'll take one of those, thank you."

The brunette watched as the bartender walked towards a cooler down the line, finally noticing the nice, _tight,_ black slacks the older man was wearing. His cheeks heated up a little more with every sway of the man's hips.

Trying his best to distract himself, he glanced over at the two blondes. They were chatting casually, occasionally one of them getting really into whatever they were saying.

The bartender placed the pink bottle in front of Eren.

"Jealous?" A smirk appeared on the attractive looking males face.

"Nah, I'm just glad Armin's happy." Eren smiled, pulling out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it, it's on the house." The attractive bartender was just being cruel now.

He had started to turn away when Eren stopped him.

"Wait, what's your name?" He asked innocently.

"Levi. Remember it." The teasing tone had Eren blushing.

Several minutes passed, both of the men glancing at each other unapologetically. Levi eventually came back over, leaning on the counter, showing off his perfect collar bones. They chatted a bit about pointless shit, before the sexual tension was palpable in the air. Even Armin noticed it when he glanced over to check on his friend.

"Hey, I'll be right back, don't move." Levi said commandingly.

Eren happily obeyed, the grey eyes of the older man making him melt. He pulled his phone out again while he waited, half-heartedly clicking through social media.

A cough behind him broke him out of his internet-induced trance.

He spun around on the stool, finally getting a good look at the man he'd been eyeing for the past hour or so now. He bit his lip, feeling more than a little worked up at this point.

Levi's pupils dilated as he watched the tall brunette in front of him. His standards wouldn't let him haul the hot boy into a bathroom stall, but that didn't mean there wasn't other places.

"Thank God I'm an employee." The short man mumbled.

He swiftly grabbed Eren's wrists, leading him away. Eren didn't miss a beat, quickly following his new favorite bartender.

He was led through a door which was quickly shut and locked behind him as he was shoved up against it roughly. Before he knew it, warm hands were gripping his hips and soft lips were pressed against his own. He moaned into the kiss, moving his hands to wrap in the soft black locks of his attacker.

Suddenly Levi's hands were on Eren's ass, making him moan. He kneaded it experimentally before gripping it and lifting Eren up. He carried him across the room and dropped him down on the couch that Eren hadn't even noticed earlier, not that he had time.

Eren started unbuttoning the button up on Levi, only stopping briefly when his own shirt was lifted off and thrown to the side. When the offensive piece was off, Eren let out a small gasp. Though Levi was shorter, he was much more built than Eren. His muscles looked they were chiseled by a god.

Levi palmed Eren through his jeans, enjoying every sound the younger boy made. He was almost scared that the bar patrons would hear him, but was more concerned with getting those pesky jeans off Eren at the moment.

With a small struggle, his pants were off, leaving Eren naked except for his too-tight briefs. Lucky for him, Levi was impatient and quickly took them off as well, sick of teasing.

The dark haired man pulled a condom and lube out of his pocket. He tore open the lube packet with his teeth, squeezing some onto his fingers.

"Can I Eren?" Levi asked, his breath heavy and pupils completely blown.

Eren nodded his head, not trusting his voice to come out as anything other than a moan.

Levi slipped the first finger in easily, thrusting in and out, already causing Eren to squirm under his touch. He bent down and took one of the perky pink nipples of the brunette in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. As his partner relaxed, Levi slipped in another finger, scissoring his fingers to stretch Eren out, not wanting to hurt the panting mess beneath him.

Once three fingers fit in, Eren was begging for Levi to take him. Levi, with his cock straining in his uncomfortably tight pants, didn't need much convincing.

He unzipped his pants, pushing his pants and briefs down to let his dick free. He pumped it slowly, watching Eren bite his lip again as he slid the condom on squeezing more lube onto his hard member.

"Let me know if it hurts, alright?" Levi sounded a little concerned, but his voice was low and full of sensuality.

"God, Levi, just fuck me. I need your dick inside me _now_. Please." Eren was breathy, his eyes lidded, not trying to hide how much he wanted this to happen.

Levi complied, pressing into Eren slowly. He let him adjust once he was all the way in, but once Eren wiggled his hips it was all over.

Levi buried himself in the crook of Eren's neck, biting at the soft flesh he found there. His hands gripping the armrest by Eren's head as he pounded into the boy beneath him.

The room filled with moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin. Levi settled in at a fast pace, bringing them both to the edge quickly. Eren squeezed his legs around Levi's waist and left scarlet claw marks down his back as he began to lose control.

"L-Levi. Fuck. I'm so close." Eren began, warning the man of his impending release.

He came with his bartender's name on his lips, moaning it like he was a god. Levi, already close, was pushed over the edge at the same time by Eren clenching around him. They were both a sweaty, heavy breathing mess as Levi collapsed on Eren.

A small chuckle left Levi's lips. "Alright, Eren. That was...amazing."

The shorter man got off of Eren and cleaned himself off. Eren was still laying on the couch, unable to bring himself to move.

When Levi came back, he brought Eren's clothes with him, helping him get dressed. They stole kisses from each other as they composed themselves.

"Let me see your phone." Eren almost demanded, deciding Levi couldn't be in charge _all_ night, even if the night was almost over.

Levi handed it to him and Eren added his contact info quickly before returning it.

"We should do this again. Call me." He ran a hand through his even messier brown locks as he exited the employee lounge.

He reemerged with a grin plastered on his face and that radiant after sex glow.

Armin didn't even notice Eren leave the bar, his tongue too far down Captain America's throat.


	15. Day 15: A Ball

"Eren, it's high time you found a partner!" His mother announced.

Her hands were on her hips, giving the the boy a stern look. Eren picked up on the glimmer of mischief in her eyes, however, blowing her whole charade.

"Mom...what are you up to?" The tall brunette boy took a step back, sounding concerned for his life.

"Nothing." She laughed and Eren rolled his eyes. "I just need you to look presentable tonight. I already had the maids lay your clothes out. Be downstairs by 7!"

And with a small wave she was off, leaving Eren confused in the hallway of their castle. The poor prince had just turned 22, and he had yet to find a partner to help him rule the kingdom. Not that he was the ruler _yet,_ but it would happen eventually, and Eren would need all the help he could get.

He was walking down the hallway, rattling his brain trying to figure out what his mother was planning, when he spotted his sister. Her short black hair braided back, a lovely black suit on decorated with red tassels. She never was one for the big dresses.

"Mikasa!" He shouted, waving her down.

"Eren." She smiled at her brother warmly.

"Do you know what mom is planning?" Eren asked, his tone very curious.

Mikasa smirked. "I guess you'll find out tonight, won't you?"

As quick as he found her, she was gone. Eren wandered around the castle, the courtyard, everywhere really, trying to find someone that would let him in on the secret of tonight. Unfortunately for the prince, no one would. He was left in his curious and slightly irritated state until his maids came in and forced him to get around at six.

He wore a white suit, one of the most formal outfits he owned. The shoulders were decorated with a set of dark green tassels, bringing out his eyes. There were several medals pinned on the left of his chest, many from archery competitions and one with his family seal on it. His mess of brown locks combed back, showing off the cut features of his face.

He dragged his feet, but eventually stumbled into the foyer downstairs. He was greeted by a much too enthusiastic Mrs. Jaeger. She wore her best blue dress, her hair done up in a bun surrounded by braids and curls. Eren rarely saw his mother this excited and done up, so he decided to go with whatever happened tonight. There was no need to ruin his mother's fun. What was the worst that could happen?

"I suppose I can tell you what's going on now that you're down here and dressed." His mother chuckled. She seemed childlike in her giddiness.

"Would you please? It's been bothering me all day!" Eren complained, much more relaxed now.

"We're having a ball!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "And the best part...there'll be many suitors for you here tonight, Eren! You can take your pick!"

Eren assumed it was something like this, simply shaking his head at his mother's idea.

Once their conversation was over, guests started arriving. His family made their way to the ballroom on the other side of the castle. It was large, obviously, decorated with royal green and white colors. Banners and portraits lined the walls. There were many chandeliers lining the ceiling, giving the room a warm light. Finally, in the far back, sat Eren's favorite part, the Royal Orchestra. Only the best could call themselves a part of it, Eren's mother ensured it.

Eren made his rounds, holding polite conversation with the people he was expected to. He even idly chatted with a couple girls from town for a bit. It wasn't long before the interaction exhausted him, however. Needing a moment, he grabbed himself a glass of wine from a server and made his way to the pavilion outside.

Once he was out of the ballroom, the music barely above a whisper, he noticed another body sitting in the pavilion, nursing a glass of wine and looking out at the nearby forest.

"Mind if I join you?" The tall brunette prince asked with a warm smile.

The body turned around, revealing a short man with combed black hair wearing a royal suit in black, decorated with white tassels and several medals that almost mirrored Erens.

"But of course, Your Highness." The man bowed politely.

"There's no need for such formalities now, sir. But may I ask your name?" Eren's warm smile was replaced by a flirtatious smirk.

"Ackerman. Levi Ackerman." The black stated simply.

Eren grew closer, finally getting a good look at the gorgeous grey eyes that stared up at him. Eren noticed his pupils dilating as he grew closer, in fear or….curiosity maybe?

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you... _Levi._ " Eren dropped his voice as he said the man's name. "What brings you to my mother's ball?"

Levi took a sip from his glass of wine before he replied. "I actually really like the Royal Orchestra. They just play so wonderfully."

Eren set his wineglass down and motioned for Levi to do the same.

"It would be a waste not to dance to it then." Eren stated, extending his hand to the man before him.

"But, Your Highness-" He was cut off mid-protest by Eren pressing a hand in the small of his back and pressing them together.

Eren led as the two danced around the pavilion. They stared into each other's eyes on and off, Levi getting nervous and turning his gaze away, but it always managed to find its way back to Eren. The brunette noticed, earning the mysterious dark haired man a chuckle.

Once the song changed for the third time, they decided to take a break. They made small talk while they finished their wine. Their conversation ranged from music and instruments, to the medals on the chest, and even Levi's own family. Eren made small remarks at the last one, but mainly listened intently to Levi talk about himself, taking in every word the man said.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I could use another glass. Would you like me to grab you one as well?" Eren asked, grabbing both of their empty glasses.

"I would, but I can get my own, thank you." He grabbed his glass and walked ahead of Eren back into the ballroom.

The suddenly loudness of the music contrasted the quiet and peacefulness of the outside, startling them both slightly.

Eren grabbed Levi's hand, entwining their fingers, as he led them through the ballroom, down a flight of stairs, and finally into the castle's wine cellar.

"Pick whichever you like." Eren said, raising his arms to show off the expansive collection of wine bottles his family had collected.

"No, I think that's something you should do. I don't think my palate is quite as refined as yours, sir." He said with a low chuckle.

"Please, just call me Eren. And, honestly, I don't think it is. My mother always tells me that wine is wasted on me." It was Eren's turn to laugh now, except his was much warmer...and a good bit louder.

"Alright then I suppose we should just grab one and hope for the best!" Levi shrugged his shoulders.

He walked towards Eren, stopping just short of running into him. Eren eyed him curiously as Levi bent down and grabbed a bottle by the taller boy's shins.

Levi stood back up, bottle in hand, as he looked into Eren's eyes.

He almost dropped the bottle as the Prince's lips were suddenly on his own. Surprised, he pushed Eren away.

Eren's face fell, looking like he'd been shot. "I-I'm sorry. I guess I-"

Levi quickly set the bottle down and repeated the action that Eren had pulled on him.

He broke away for a second, his breathing heavy and his hands still tangled in Eren's hair. "Sorry. I was just taken aback. I didn't expect it."

They found a steady rhythm as they stood in the middle of the room, taking in the moment. They were comfortable, passionately lost in each other's embrace.

That was, until Eren's mother walked down.

"Care to introduce your new _friend_ to me, son?" She crossed her arms and smirked with that same twinkle in her eyes as earlier.

Eren turned towards his mother, keeping a possessive arm around Levi's waist. "Mom, this is Levi Ackerman. Levi, this is my mother, Carla." He motioned between the two.

"Nice to meet you, Levi." Carla curtsied.

"No, the pleasure's all mine, Ma'am." Levi bowed deeply, much more formally than he had with Eren.

"Well I'll leave you two to it!" She grabbed a bottle of wine near the base of the stairs and hurried out.

Eren and Levi both chuckled, their cheeks tinted a light pink from being interrupted, by the Queen no less.

"Well, Levi. I suppose we should return to the party, but I hope you'll accompany me the rest of the night. I do enjoy your company." Eren squeezed Levi with the arm he had wrapped around him.

"If it is the Prince's command." Levi chuckled, giving Eren a quick peck on the lips as he grabbed the bottle and headed up the stairs. "Well, are you coming, _Eren?_ "

The Prince wasn't even aware he was moving until his hand grasped Levi's free one and followed him back to the ballroom.

They spent the rest of the night drinking and dancing. Eren and Levi both getting a little too tipsy for the event, but not caring. As the party came to a close, both were unwilling to let the other go. Levi ended up falling asleep cuddled with Eren. Both fell asleep in their suits, too tired and intoxicated to manage to take the clothing off before sleep overtook them.


	16. Day 16: Band

The stadium was loud, lights flashing, fans screaming and singing along. Eren was smooshed in the front row, his eyes on the lead singer and guitarist. The band, _Wings of Freedom,_ was Eren's all-time favorite.

The band switched to a slower song, the screaming dulling considerably. Eren swayed as the vocalists warm voice flooded over him. He made direct eye-contact with the attractive black-haired man clad in a white t-shirt covered in holes, showing glimpses of the perfect body underneath, and black skinny jeans. His hair was a mess from where he'd run his fingers through it so many times, much like Eren's own.

There eyes met as the boy on stage continued to sing out. He smirked and kept his eyes on the boy in front of him as he finished the slow song. Eren blew a kiss to the man on-stage, causing the short singer to crack a wide smile.

"Alright, this next song is my favorite. It's the one that my adorable boyfriend helped me write." The vocalist sounded so proud and full of love as he informed the audience.

Eren blushed, knowing what song was coming up. His lover always doing what he could to bring a pink tint to the boys cheeks. They'd been together forever, you'd think Eren would've gotten used to the way Levi teased him, but he never did. He decided he liked their flirt-to-roast ratio, and wouldn't change it for the world.

Levi cleared his throat before he started humming. The song was obviously a love song. It was fast paced and easy to dance to, Eren's favorite part. It wasn't just because his boyfriend was the lead singer that he loved the band. It was just a perk that he got to go home with the guy that everyone in the audience was drooling over..

A couple songs later and the group onstage jogged off, waving goodbye to their fans, a couple members even blowing kisses to the audience.

The fans reluctantly backed away from the stage, taking their sweet time. Eren, on the other hand, rushed passed the bodyguards, giving them a brief 'hi'. He made his way back to the band's dressing room, smiling like a lunatic.

"Levi! That was amazing as always!" He laughed out.

He wrapped his arms around Levi's sweaty neck and kissed him passionately. It was the same after every performance. Levi's fellow band members just rolled their eyes, too used to the PDA that occurred between the two.

"Come on, let's go back to the hotel before Hanji explodes or Mike kills us." Levi laughed lightly.

The brunette with her hair in a bun was eyeing the two...again. She loved watching the two boys get romantic. Mike eyed the two as well, but his stare consisted more of daggers than happiness for the two.

To keep at least some things secret, the two hopped in the limo. One of the many perks of being famous was bottle service in the back of long, black limousines. Levi poured them each a glass of champagne as they toasted to yet another great performance.

Despite not actually being in the band, Eren was an honorary member according to them. He had helped Levi write songs and was even featured on a couple of their tracks, though he was unlisted in the credits.

They made it back to their hotel room...well, penthouse suite. It was decorated in white and gold and was way bigger than the two needed, but they enjoyed having the space for... _other_ activities.

But first, Eren wanted Levi to sing him a song.

"What do you want me to play, brat?" Levi asked, dragging out his acoustic guitar.

"Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran." Eren smiled warmly. He was in a particularly romantic mood tonight.

"I'm dating a sap." Levi teased him as he started strumming.

Levi sat on the bed with his legs crossed while Eren was on his side, his head propped up. He closed his eyes, taking in the sweet sound of Levi's unaltered, completely raw sound. It was angelic and such a turn on at the same time.

As the song came to a close, Levi stopped singing, but continued strumming. He enjoyed giving Eren his own shows, he liked feeling the connection between the two.

Finally content, Levi got up and returned his guitar to his case. The magic still lingered in the air a while longer. Levi laid down next to Eren, pulling the boy on top of him and holding him close. He noted the calm rhythm of Eren's breathing.

"Do you know how much I love you?" Levi asked, kissing the top of Eren's head.

"Not as much as I love you." Eren laughed, turning toward Levi and kissing him on the nose.

The boys continued cuddling until Eren remembered the best part of the hotel.

He hopped up, throwing his clothes off as he ran to the bathroom. The jacuzzi bathtub. How could he have forgotten?

"Leviiii…" He called from the bathroom, already sitting in the tub, waiting for it to fill up.

Levi leisurely made his way to his boyfriend. He made a show of stripping himself, teasing the boy before he joined him.

Once the bath was filled, Eren turned the jets on, letting out a moan at the relaxation that overwhelmed him. Levi immediately claimed Eren's mouth with his own.

They continued eagerly making out until Eren 'accidentally' bumped the entire thing of bubble bath into the tub. The bubbled overtook them both. Levi thought Eren died when all he could hear was the silent gasps of too much laughter coming from the other boy. They couldn't see each other for the bubbles, but Levi managed to feel him out.

They laughed and played in the bubbles until they turned into prunes, finally deciding to dry off and call it a night. Though, it was a while before that happened.


	17. Day 17: Fluff

Their green capes fluttered in the wind as they rode their horses towards the enemy. A 6 meter titan.

It was their usual rounds around the campsite. One which, usually, came to a close without incident, but they couldn't always be so lucky.

"Oi, Petra, Mike! Head to the forest, the rest of us will meet you there. There's no where to use the 3DMG here." Levi's face was stern and his voice full of authority. He wasn't a corporal for nothing.

"Eren, we're going to lead that thing to the others. Try to keep up before it takes a bite outta that cute ass." Levi's voice turned teasing as he spoke to Eren.

Levi knew that Eren could take care of himself well enough. He wasn't quite as good as the rest of the team, but he could shift into a titan, so he had something at least. And Eren knew that Levi would try his best not to risk the lives of his team members, which Eren was lucky enough to be one of.

"Do you want me to…?" Eren lifted his hand to his mouth, not finishing his question.

"Don't underestimate Petra and Mike. They may have some weird personalities, but they're good fighters." Levi began to raise his voice, trying to keep it above the wind and the sound of the titan stomping ever closer.

They made it to the edge of the forest where Petra and Mike were waiting, the titan close on their heels. Petra and Mike began swinging around on their maneuver gear as the titan went farther into the forest. Not long after they entered, Petra landed a blow to the back of its right leg, causing it to stumble down. Mike then took the opportunity to swing in and deliver the final slice to the titan's neck. A burning steam escaped as it was defeated.

"Good work." Levi nodded towards the two veteran members. "Hope you took notes, brat."

Eren rolled his eyes at the corporal, earning a sharp look, if only briefly.

"Alright, let's go." Levi stated, his face back to its neutral stern look.

They quickly finished the rest of their route, returning to their new makeshift base. It had been an old castle of some sort. Several stories with bedrooms and kitchens included. There was even a dungeon.

"Good work today, everyone. Go clean up and rest." Levi said after they returned their horses to their stalls for the night.

Petra and Mike gave their goodbyes and walked off towards the castle. Eren began to but didn't manage to get very far.

"No, I've got other plans for you tonight, Jaeger." Levi growled, his voice low.

"Corporal…" Eren let out, his voice shaky and his cheeks red.

Levi pulled him along and into the castle. Eren was too embarrassed to notice when they had gotten inside. He did, however, notice that they weren't going in the direction to the bedrooms.

"Uh, where are you taking me, sir?" Eren asked, confusion clear on his face.

"Well, you're getting a shower first of all. You smell like horse-ass. I'm not about to….Just no. Clean up." Levi shook his head like it was too obvious what his plans were.

Levi pushed Eren into the bathroom, the bath already filled with warm water that some unlucky new-recruit had the misfortune of having to carry up.

Eren quickly stripped. Levi simply enjoyed the view. It wasn't until Eren was already completely naked that he noticed Levi just staring.

"You're turn, Corporal." Eren's voice held more confidence than it had, but his face still showed clear signs of embarrassment.

Levi noticed the boys courage, and rewarded it. He made it an achingly slow show for Eren. Taking off each strap of his harness carefully, then his shirt, being sure to show how his bare muscles flexed as the shirt was lifted off of him. His shoes he took off less gracefully, simply kicking them off, followed by the tight pants.

Eren came up and traced his fingers on the lines the 3D Maneuver Gear had marked on his gorgeous pale skin, kissing some scars on his chest as he did so. If Levi could tease, so could Eren. His hands started to trace the line by Levi's hips, bringing them down his thighs and squeezing as his mouth ghosted over the nape of his neck. Levi's breath hitched and then Eren was gone.

He didn't know he had shut his eyes until he blinked them open, finding Eren stepping into the bath. There was an obvious smirk on his face as he sat down in the large tub, some water spilling over the edge.

"Better hurry before it cools." Eren teased, sinking lower into the tub.

"God, if it wasn't for that glorious ass and cute face of yours, I'm pretty sure I would've convinced Pixis to kill you by now." Levi's voice and face showed no sign of teasing, but luckily Eren picked up on the humor in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Now get over here." Eren laughed as he opened his arms and made room for Levi between his legs.

Levi stepped in, quickly making himself comfortable. Eren grabbed the soap placed by the edge of the tub and began to rub in against Levi's rough skin. He left a trail of kisses over everywhere he washed. Levi let out a moan as Eren kissed and washed him. It was relaxing and so sensual. Eren let out a similar sound as Levi wiggled back into Eren, grinding his ass on Eren's semi-hard cock.

"If you keep it up, we won't be getting out anytime soon." Levi teasingly glared over his shoulder at the taller brunette boy.

Eren removed his hands from Levi, holding them up in a defensive position, a small smirk on his face.

Levi turned around, getting on his knees in the bath. He swiftly took the soap from Eren's hand. He admired the few scars on Eren's torso and the wonderful abs that Eren had gained since he started in the Survey Corps as he rubbed the soap over them. He even poured some water over Eren's hair, trying to remove the dirt that had managed to find its way there.

After Levi deemed them clean enough, they stood and dried off. Each taking in the site of the other clean, not something many would get to see considering their job and hectic schedule. There weren't many times for baths.

Eren then followed Levi up to his room, both wrapped in only a bath cloth, wanting to wear clean clothes since they had just cleaned up. There was nothing like the feeling of clean skin on clean cloth, especially when it was so rare. Everyone in the Survey Corp had learned not to take it for granted.

But, time to be alone with your lover, was also not to be taken for granted. They could always be taken away, and who knew when the next time to be alone would be. It had happened to Jean and Marco, leaving the thought with Eren every time he was with Levi.

It didn't help that Levi was a commanding officer. He couldn't be sweet with Eren in public like he wanted because he had to save face. What would everyone think knowing Eren got to be special to one of the most powerful people in the Survey Corps? That's not to say a lot of people didn't know, but Levi still had to make it clear he wasn't playing favorite with Eren just because they were sleeping together. Which he understood, but it still had him feeling lonely.

Levi laid down on the bed, not bothering to get dressed. He motioned for Eren to join, which he quickly did. He positioned himself so he was straddling the older man's waist. Levi grabbed Eren by the back of his neck and pulled him down into a warm kiss. It was perfect, the skin-on-skin contact and their raised body temperature from the bath making it seem even better.

Eventually Levi couldn't contain himself anymore.

He flipped them over, maintaining his position between Eren's long, tanned legs. He bent over and picked up a box from under the bed. It was a simply wooden box, the wood looking a little warn.

Levi sat up, sitting on his heels. Eren, with his curiosity raised, sat up as well, his legs slung over Levi's thighs still, and most of his weight resting on the arms he was using to prop himself up.

"I probably should've done this a while ago, but we both know I'm shit at this." Levi said, looking nervous for the first time in….ever. Eren had never seen his Corporal look nervous like this before.

"What's-" Eren began, but was cut off as Levi raised his hand to cover Eren's mouth.

"Let me get this out now before I change my mind." He stared into Eren's eyes and dropped his hand, knowing that his lover would be quiet now.

"So, we have a dangerous job. A fact I'm sure you're just as aware of as me. And I couldn't live with myself if I didn't make it painstakingly clear that I'm in love with you. If something happened and there wasn't some way for you to know how much you mean to me...I just...I couldn't, Eren. I love you so much, it physically pains me. I wish we could've met in a different way, but I'm so glad you came into my life. And this may be cheesy as shit, but.." Levi opened up the box to show to golden bands. "I was hoping you'd wear this."

Eren's eyes began to water before Levi even finished.

"Levi, of course I will. You mean so much to me, too. I love you, Levi. I love you so much." Eren's watery eyes had turned into sobs as he wrapped around Levi.

Levi picked up the larger of the two rings and placed it on the fourth finger of Eren's left hand, where Carla and Grisha had once worn their wedding bands. And now, even without a wedding ceremony or an actual proposal, Eren would wear a similar ring that held the same meaning. That he was deeply in love with the man who owned the matching ring of gold. Eren grabbed the other and placed it on the same finger on Levi.

Eren gripped Levi for dear life, Levi holding the same grip on Eren for several minutes, as Eren's sobs stopped. Levi loosed his grip, causing Eren to do the same. Levi gave him a sweet kiss filled with all of the man's love for the brunette in his arms.

Eren blushed, suddenly realizing how very naked the two men were during this whole ordeal. Though his cheeks turned red, he made no effort to move. They were content. In each others grasp, relishing the moment, letting everything sink in.

The rest of the night was just as magical. They made love to each other like never before. Instead of their usual fucking, trying to make an imprint on the other in case something happened to them, it was more emotional and filled with love and care for the other. They knew that no matter what the other would always be with them. There would be no regret for either of them should something happen.

They were together, and everything was right in their messed up world, if only for that night.


	18. Dsy 18: Blind Date

Eren stumbled into the cafe. He was dressed up, ready for this blind date. He wore his favorite jeans, dark wash with holes, and a black v-neck. His hair actually didn't look like he had just gotten up for once, only one or two strands sticking out.

He didn't know who he was looking for exactly. Hanji had just told him to go to the cafe by the university after his classes got out. Lucky for him, there was only one person who seemed to be waiting for someone, and he also happened to be the most attractive guy in the whole place.

He seemed to notice Eren staring, looking at him quizzically. As if to ask him if he needed something.

Eren walked up nervously.

'U-Um, I don't suppose Hanji sent you?" Eren seemed a little hopeful as his gaze fell on the dark-haired man's eyes.

" _You're_ Eren?" He seemed utterly surprised, catching the brunette's attention.

He pulled out the chair across from the man and sat down.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Eren even raised an eyebrow as he questioned his date for the afternoon.

"Well, Hanji didn't exactly give me details other than that my date was a brunette named Eren. I didn't expect you to be so…." He eyed Eren up and down for a second before finishing his sentence, " _hot._ " He finished, taking a sip of his coffee while he continued watching Eren over the rim of his cup.

Eren laughed a thanks before he excused himself to grab a coffee as well. He had previously been too nervous finding out about his date to grab a drink, but he could tell this would go well already. His date seemed fairly straight-forward and nice enough.

He returned with his iced mocha took his seat across from the darker haired man again.

"So, tell me about yourself. I mean, I haven't even gotten your name yet." Eren smiled lightly as he spoke.

"Levi Ackerman. Third year business major. I'm fluent in French." His introduction was short, but satisfied Eren's curiosity for now.

"Alright, I'm Eren Jaeger. Second year communications major. I have a weak spot for cats." Eren kept his just as short.

"Well then you'll be pleased to know I have a little demon at my apartment." Levi pulled out his phone, brining up a picture of a black cat with little white paws. "His name is Corporal." A smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

Eren, on the other hand, was not so subtle. He was very loud in voicing how much he adored the cat. Lucky for him, Levi found it amusing rather than annoying, like he probably would with most other people. But Levi couldn't help but notice how big and sparkly Eren's eyes got as he admired the cat.

"Can I come visit him sometime?" Eren asked after a minute.

"Let's see how the rest of this date goes first." Levi teased, already knowing that he would allow it.

Eren relaxed, knowing that Levi was playing. They sat for another hour or so just talking. They finished their drinks long before they were ready to go, neither willing to get up to dispose of their garbage until they were ready to go.

They got along well enough. Hanji certainly knew what she was doing when she set this up. Eren had only known her for a month from their shared Mass Media class. They had talked almost every day, but Eren still didn't know much about her besides that she was even easier to excite than he was, which was saying something. He made a mental note to thank her come their next class, though he was sure he'd get a text from her later asking for all the details.

Levi glanced at the watch on his wrist briefly. A small sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at Eren.

"As much as I really don't want to, I've gotta get to work." Levi gave Eren a sad smile.

"Guess it can't be helped then." Eren returned the gesture. "But, um, before you go, do you wanna exchange numbers?" Eren glanced away briefly, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Of course. I think it would be worth it to see where this goes." Levi smirked this time.

They each got out their phone, handing it to the other to put in their contact information. Once they were done, they exchanged an awkward goodbye and went on their separate ways.

Eren slept in the next day, not waking up until eleven, thanking the heavens that his Friday classes had gotten canceled.

He got up and grabbed a soda from the fridge, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out of his pajama pockets and unlocked it.

 **Levi**

 _Hey, Eren. My afternoon classes got canceled due to some conference. If you're free, do you want to come meet Corporal?_

Eren typed his reply quickly, already making his way to the bathroom to get around for the day. He wasn't about to see Levi stinking. Not when he was already hoping for something to happen between them.

Levi replied with his address and told him he could show up anytime, just to text him as he was leaving. Eren could manage that.

After he was freshened up, he got dressed, dressing much more casual today, a pair of grey sweatpants and grey-shirt that hung a little loose on him. He grabbed his keys and wallet and sent Levi a text telling him he would be there soon.

It was only about a fifteen minute drive to Levi's, and that was with traffic being busier than usual.

He pulled into a spot in front of Levi's Apartment and parked his car. He pulled up their texts from earlier, wanting to make sure he wasn't gonna go up and knock on the wrong door.

He climbed the two flights of stairs and knocked on the door to 303. He was greeted by a pair of oddly warm grey eyes.

"Hey, Eren. Come on in." He stepped aside, allowing for Eren to make his way in.

He took his shoes off and set them by the door as Levi led the way into the living room. He sat down on one end of the couch and Eren sat on the other. It was comfortable, Eren sank into it.

Levi turned the TV on, asking Eren what he wanted to watch. Eren didn't care, knowing he wasn't really going to pay much attention anyway. Levi decided on some movie on FX, Eren didn't know its name, and honestly didn't care. Especially when a small fluff of black fur jumped up next to him.

Eren froze, not wanting to scare him away. He slowly moved his hand to pet it. It flinched away at first, making Eren nervous, but it quickly started purring, accepting Eren.

Lei watched on curiously, it's not like he was paying attention to the TV either. Eren looked up at him as Corporal made his way over to his owner, meowing softly.

Eren scooted towards Levi, allowing their thighs to touch. Eren clearly was not ready to stop petting the cat, a huge grin plastered on his face. Levi simply chuckled at Eren's unreserved behavior, catching Eren's attention. He looked up at the slightly older man.

Levi momentarily lost control of himself as his hand reached up and cupped Eren's face, rubbing a thumb over his soft cheek. He blinked a couple times, quickly dropping his hand as he realized what he did. Eren looked taken aback, but smiled shyly. The shy smile only lasted for a second as it morphed into a smirk on Eren's face. He landed a quick peck on Levi's cheek to test the waters. In turn, Levi leaned in and kissed Eren softly.

They were content with just that for now. It was only their second date after all. And Levi couldn't bring himself to do more in front of his furry friend, no matter how much he wanted to, and he doubt Eren would let him move it. Levi felt a little jealous towards all the attention it was getting, but it vanished as Eren leaned on him, resting his head on Levi's shoulder casually, like it was natural.


	19. Day 19: Ackerman Enterprises (Part 5)

The tall brunette boy made his way to the coffee shop two blocks over. The walk there was refreshing, letting Eren clear his head. Or, it was supposed to, all it did was bring up all sorts of questions. Why had Levi been so weird this morning? And why did it seem like he had a control problem? Was he sick of Eren? Did he-

Suddenly Eren heard the ringing of a bike bell behind him. He squeezed his eyes waiting for some sort of impact. Instead, he was tugged into a warm embrace, the breeze from the biker rushing past, barely missing him.

He started to say sorry, not even bothering to look at the kind stranger that had saved him. A familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts quickly. Eren would recognize the steely tone and the way his name sounded coming from those perfect pink lips.

"Jesus, Eren. You need to be more careful." Levi's voice was full of annoyance. A hand leaving Eren's waist to push his hair back.

"W-What are you doing here?!" Eren wasn't the best at hiding his emotions, as much as the poor boy tried.

"Well, I _was_ grabbing some coffee before my meeting. But then I found myself dropping my coffee in favor of saving some brunette boy who can't be bothered to check his surroundings." Levi cleared his throat when he was finished, trying to ease up on how harsh his voice sounded. He could feel Eren flinch as he spoke and it reminded him to return his hands to his sides, as much as he didn't want to.

Unfortunately for Levi, Eren snapped out if rather quickly. He hadn't had breakfast yet and was a little hangry. He stepped away, looking hurt while almost glaring at Levi.

"I don't know what your deal is, but do not take this out on me, _Mr. Ackerman._ " Eren's voice wasn't harsh, but it definitely let the older man know that Eren wasn't having any of his shit right now. "You need to stop giving me whiplash." He finished, his voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough for Levi to make out his words.

Levi let out a sigh before grabbing onto the younger man's bicep and dragging him to where his car was waiting. He had swapped his black Audi for a regular black luxury sedan with a driver. The extremely tall brunette man with scruff opened the door and Levi pushed Eren inside, ensuring that he didn't hit his head.

"Mike, to the... _other_ apartment please." Levi's attention was directed at the driver as he stood with one foot in the car.

Once he gave the instructions to the driver, whose name was apparently Mike, he sat inside. The door closed behind him. Quickly enough they were back on the road.

The trip wasn't long in actuality, but Eren felt like years had passed as he arrived at their destination. The ride had been quiet, Eren too nervous-and annoyed-to talk, and Levi looked like he was too deep in thought to even realize how tense Eren had become.

The walk up to Levi's apartment was just as bad. The apartment lobby was nice, a chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. There was a desk that appeared to manned 24/7 with a gentleman in a suit behind it. It was like walking into a hotel, but one far nicer than Eren had ever gotten to stay in. Levi led them up to an elevator and an attendant put in his floor number, inserting a key as he did so, causing the doors to close and the elevator to begin its long ascent to the top floor.

The doors opened to a white space. The tiled floors shown under the rays of sunlight trickling in from behind dark curtains. Levi kicked off his shoes on a mat by the entrance. Eren followed his example and did the same.

The shorter man went into the kitchen. Eren lagged behind as he took in the sight. There was a winding staircase off to the side. Did apartments even have staircases like that?

"Come. Sit." Levi motioned for Eren to be seated at one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar.

He poured two glasses of orange juice, placing one in front Eren.

"You need to stay away from me." Levi said suddenly, his tone leaving little room for argument. He took a sip of his juice when he had finished.

Eren let out a humorless laugh as he rolled his eyes. "And why is that, Mr. Sunshine?" Sarcasm lacing his tone.

Levi made no move to join Eren on the other side of the counter. Eren's eyes left the glass that he'd been staring at since it was placed in front of him in favor of glaring into the grey eyes across from him.

"I'm not good for you Eren. As much as I want…. _something_. You need to forget about me." Levi finished his juice and rinsed the glass in the sink.

"First of all," Eren began, "If you're trying to get rid of me, it was a pretty dumb decision to bring me here don't you think?" Eren gave a mocking smile as he tilted his head to the side, still staring into Levi's steely grey eyes. "Second, why are you so bad for me? I mean, you clearly have such a positive attitude." Eren's eyes rolled again as he finished, the smile gone from his lips.

"I brought you here because I knew there was no other way to get you to realize that I'm not good for you." Levi took Eren's glass, emptying it in the sink, before he continued. "Follow me and I'll show you."

He led the younger, confused boy down the hallway to a wooden door. He pulled a brass key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

He pushed the door open. "Welcome to my play room, _Eren._ " His voice held amusement, even if only a little.

Eren walked inside. He was greeted by shades of red all around. He spotted canes, whips, sets of drawers. What caught Eren's attention the most however, was a california king sized bed in the middle of the room. There was a wooden headboard and tall posts at every corner. There were white sheets with a soft red duvet on top. It looked absolutely heavenly.

"Well, it's certainly intimidating." Eren murmured. His hands ghosting over some whips hanging on the wall.

"I told you, Eren. I'm not good for you." He sighed again.

"Well, you've got me curious now. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Eren would've smirked if he hadn't been so frightened by some of the things he saw in the room.

"What is this?" Eren asked, holding up two clamps attached by a chain.

Levi chuckled, his breath tickling Eren's neck as he came up behind him. "Those would be nipple clamps."

"That sounds….terrifying." Eren choked out, his voice barely above a whisper again.

"Nothing in here is to cause pain, Eren. It's all about pleasure." Levi's voice was stern as he corrected the innocent boy.

"Come on, you don't need a sensory overload...yet." Levi said, gripping Eren's wrist. He led them out of the room, locking the door as they exited.

"So, this is what you're in to? You like beating people up?" Eren seemed a little nervous, fidgeting as they made their way to a black couch in the living room.

"I don't beat people up, Eren! God, I'm not some barbarian. I don't do anything my partner doesn't like. It's all about pleasing my partner." Levi said, a smirk on his lips just thinking about it.

"If you're so keen on staying, we will use the play room. It'll only be what you're comfortable with, but it will be used. You can't even imagine how much I want to please you, Eren. But that's part of what you're signing up for if you decide that this is what you want." His eyes were dark and his voice no longer sounding rough, but almost pleading. He wanted Eren to understand.

"I don't know if I would like it. I can't promise anything." Eren said nervously, a small blush forming on his cheeks. His confidence from earlier was starting to vanish as he thought about being with the short businessman.

"Well, what kind of things have you tried and liked?" Levi sounded curious.

"You mean like during sex?" Eren asked innocently.

Levi let out a low chuckle. "Yes, Eren."

Eren scratched the back of his head, biting his bottom lip. "I…." He took a deep breath, "I don't know. I haven't ever…"

Levi's eyes widened, almost comically so, as his breath hitched in his throat. "You don't mean…. You're a virgin?"


	20. Day 20: New Addition

"Eren, we're not keeping... _it._ " Levi said sternly.

"But, Levi, look at how cute they are." Eren whined, holding up the small ball of fur in their arms.

"No." Levi wasn't giving in on this one. Eren was barely capable of looking after himself. How was he gonna take care of a cat? Levi already knew the answer, _he_ was gonna have to take care of the cat, and he had enough to deal with watching Eren.

"Well, I'm keeping him. Your approval isn't necessary. I guess it's a good thing I have my own apartment still, huh?" The younger boy sounded more irritated now.

He slid on his shoes, grabbed his keys and cat and was out the door.

Once he was back at his own apartment he realized just how silly the argument had been, but he wasn't about to give up the cat either. The tiny kitten covered in long white fur and piercing blue eyes had captivated his heart as soon as he saw it. The poor thing had been placed in a box on campus and was the last one. They had been a mess when Eren first brought him back to his apartment. The white fur caked in mud and who knows what else. It didn't even meow as Eren looked into the box at the poor thing. Eren almost thought they were dead, but felt it's tiny chest move up and down as he held it to his own, warm chest. He brought it straight home, giving it a bath and feeding it some kitten food that Sasha had gifted to him.

There was no going back now. He was attached. Especially when he laid down on the couch, setting the fluff on his chest. It started purring softly, making Eren all warm and fluttery inside. He had taken the cat to Levi's to show him the new roommate he picked up, knowing Levi wouldn't be thrilled, but would accept it and grow to like the small creature. Unfortunately, Levi clearly didn't get the same warm fuzzy feeling from the cat that Eren had.

"Hmmm, maybe we'll call you Bela." The brunette mumbled to himself, stroking the soft, clean fur of the kitten.

Eren hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until there was a knock on the door. His new furry friend and moved to the back of the couch to lay down during his slumber, making it easier to get up.

Another knock came from the door, a bit louder this time, and Eren opened it. A much calmer Levi was standing in front of him. A small amount of guilt stuck on his face.

Eren opened the door wider and moved aside, letting the grumpy older man enter.

"Eren, listen, I'm sorry.." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It wasn't often Levi apologized for things, or needed to. "It's not my place to say whether or not you should keep the cat. It's up to you. I was just worried you wouldn't be able to handle it. But, I'm your boyfriend, not your dad…."Levi trailed off a bit. "And, honestly, she's pretty freaking cute." He cracked a small smile at his last words.

Eren hugged his boyfriend and gave him a quick, chaste kiss, letting him know that he was forgiven.

"I shouldn't have gotten so mad either. But come here. Come pet her! Her fur is so soft!"

The taller boy dragged Levi over to the couch. They sat down and played with their new family member for about an hour before realizing they didn't have anything for their new little girl.

Eren drove them to the local pet supply store, Levi carrying in Bela, who was contently purring in his got two small pink bowls with white tiaras on them, a sparkly blue collar, some cat toys, and a comfy cloth pet carrier. Surprisingly, Levi even bought the toys for Bela, along with a self-cleaning litter box, _just in case_.

A happy Eren, and growing-attached Levi made their way home and laid everything out around the house. Bela quickly adjusted to her new life, stumbling around on her tiny paws and chasing feathers. It was precious to watch, even for Levi. He would never admit it, but Eren saw the smile that spread on his face when the kitten came up to him on her own.


	21. Day 21: Smoot

"Eren...not here." Levi warned through clenched teeth, his hand grabbing Eren's wrist roughly.

"But, Levi…" The younger boy purred into Levi's ear, close enough that Levi could feel his breath tickle his neck.

He shot a glare at Eren, keeping him from continuing, but not deadly enough to knock that smirk off his face.

They were at the diner for Christ's sake! Levi was into some kinky shit, but handjobs under a disgusting diner table was not something he was into. They would wait until they got home, like civilized adults.

Eren, refusing to give up completely, kept his hand on Levi's thigh. He stroked it while they waited for their food, making sure to squeeze it occasionally. It would've been a loving action had it not been for the way his hand kept getting closer and closer to his cock. Eventually he grazed it and Levi bit his lip, which definitely didn't go unnoticed to the young, horny boy.

"Here you are, boys." The waitress sang, placing their plates in front of them before scurrying off.

Eren reluctantly removed his hand at the promise of food. He stuffed his face, making quick work of his burger and fries. Levi on the other hand, ate at a normal pace, knowing he would need his energy for later.

Once they were both done and paid, Levi drove them back to his apartment. He made sure to hide the smirk that wanted to appear as they finally arrived inside.

As soon as the door closed, Eren was roughly pushed against the door. A moan escaped him as Levi placed his leg between his thighs. Levi kissed him roughly, only stopping to throw off both of their shirts. Once the articles landed on the floor, Levi squeezed the firm ass of his lover and picked him up. Eren's legs wrapped around his waist, still passionately kissing, Levi maneuvered them into the bedroom.

He dropped Eren on the bed, leaving him to whimper from the loss of contact.

"Close your eyes." Levi said in his ear, his words laced with excitement.

Eren obeyed, sitting up on the bed with his eyes closed.

Levi grabbed a box from his bedside table. Inside were all the things he wanted to try on Eren. Given how Eren had tried to tease him earlier, he knew just what he wanted to use today.

He made his way back to a wanting Eren. He kissed the boy passionately, grabbing his wrists and bringing them together in front of him.

"Do you trust me, Eren?" He whispered against Eren's lips.

"With my life." Eren breathed out.

Levi couldn't help the "good" that he growled out, nor could he help the smirk on his lips or how his pupils blew.

he gripped the wrists together with one hand, finding what he wanted with the other. Thanks to some Googling and the internet, Eren's wrists were quickly tied together. Levi kissed him again, smoothly pushing him onto his back and raising his arms so his hands were on the bed above him. Levi broke the kiss, tying the loose rope around the metal bed frame that Levi had never been so thankful for before.

"You can open your eyes now, Eren." Levi cooed, running his hands down Eren's arms.

Eren bit his lip, turning his head at an awkward angle to see his wrists bound in rope. He gave a few testing tugs, it wasn't as rough as he had thought it would be.

"Let me know if it hurts, okay?" Levi kissed just below Eren's ear, making him shiver as he nodded.

"Good. Now, I do remember a certain brunette trying to tease me at the diner earlier…." Levi growled, his voice dropping an octave.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Eren lied, biting his teeth and turning his gaze away from Levi.

"I do believe he was doing something like this."

Levi bent and spread Eren's legs as far as his jeans would allow, slowly caressing his thighs. He made sure to make eye contact with Eren as he began to inch his hands closer to the bulge growing in his jeans. Levi already had the poor boy panting and he was only shirtless.

"Levi, please." Eren huffed, shaking his hips.

Levi complied, removing Eren's jeans and boxers, leaving his dick to rest on his abdomen.

The short, dominant man licked his lips as he crawled over Eren. He placed his hand in his hair, taking a testing tug. When he was given a small moan as a reward, he gripped a little harder. He pulled Eren into a passionate kiss and then pulled Eren's head to the side. Levi kissed and bit at Eren's exposed neck, being sure to leave marks that would take a while to disappear. Eren hissed at the pain initially, but it quickly grew into moans of pleasure.

Levi worked his way down, nipping at the tan flesh all the way until he was breathing on the hard member between Eren's legs.

He gripped Eren's cock in one hand, Eren gasping at the contact. He placed his other hand on Eren's hip to try and keep him still. He kissed the reddening tip of Eren's glorious cock. Eren whimpered out his name and Levi could feel him pulling at his restraint.

He pumped Eren a couple times before licking a line up the underside of his dick, from the base all the way to the tip. Eren was already leaking precum, leaving a slightly salty taste in Levi's mouth that he almost enjoyed. He swirled his tongue around the swollen head as he reached the top. Eren moaned his name again and Levi took Eren's entire length into his mouth. Eren's hips bucked up in response, gagging Levi a little. Profanities spilled out of Eren's mouth as Levi sucked harshly, making his way back to the tip of his cock. He continued sucking as he ran his tongue back around the head of his penis, being sure to lick the slit. Eren's heavy breathing and the lewd sounds of Levi on his cock were the only sounds in the room.

"L-Levi...ah...I'm gonna…" Eren whimpered as he shook from pleasure.

He quickly removed Eren's dick from his mouth with a pop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Finding the bottle of lube on the bed, he slicked his fingers to prepare Eren.

He placed a finger at Eren's entrance, moving it around teasingly. If this was supposed to be a punishment, he needed Eren to beg for it. And beg for it he would.

As he teased Eren's entrance with one hand, the other reached up and expertly flicked and pinched his nipples.

"God, Levi! Would you please just-" Eren was cut off as he shut his eyes and gasped for air.

Levi had shoved his middle finger in. He let Eren adjust a little before moving it in and out, curling his finger in hopes to find Eren's prostate. Once he was used to the one, Levi slowly added in another, finding Eren's sweet spot shortly after, teasing him as he scissored his fingers inside the boy. Once Eren adjusted to three fingers, Levi rid himself of his pants and underwear, leaving him as naked as the man under him. He gave Eren a brief but passionate kiss as he opened a condom packet.

"Are you ready?" Levi asked, sliding on the condom.

"Yes, Levi." Eren wiggled his hips as if to confirm what he said is true.

He lifted Eren's legs up and placed a pillow under his ass. Holding one of Eren's legs up, his hand in the crook of his knee, he lined himself up with Eren's hole. Slowly, he began to push forward.

Eren gripped the rope that held him hostage, letting out moans of pain and pleasure from being stretched out from Levi.

Levi stilled himself once he was all the way in, waiting for Eren to wiggle his hips again to let him know he was ready. It wasn't long before the signal came and Levi pulled almost all the way out before slowly pushing in again, repeating this several times. Eren tried his hardest to increase Levi's pace, but it didn't happen.

Eren was whining, begging Levi to _just fuck him_. Levi pulled out and slammed back into him, hard. Eren's whining was replaced by a loud moan, almost a scream. But before Eren could open his eyes again, Levi was back to his teasingly slow pace.

Luckily for Eren, even Levi only had so much patience, it just happened that he had more than Eren.

Levi increased his pace, gripping Eren's hips hard. Levi once again felt Eren struggling against the restraints. He bent down and kissed the boy, changing the angle so he was nailing just the right spot in Eren's body as he did so.

Eren was moaning into Levi's mouth, tears falling from the corner of his eyes from the ecstasy of it all.

"L-Levi...I can't hold it anymore." Eren moaned into Levi's mouth.

"Me too. Come for me, Eren." Levi's voice was strained and filled with a want and need to come.

The older man picked up his pace. Both men moaning the other's name. Levi's hands were now firmly gripping Eren's thighs, trying not to leave bruises, but he didn't have that much self-control left. Eren was shaking under him, moaning his name, tears staining his cheeks.

Suddenly Eren tightened around him, his breath catching in his throat before he let out a long, low moan. The sight pushed Levi over the edge, losing whatever rhythm he had left, chanting Eren's name as he came.

Levi stilled and pulled out. Eren sighed at the loss of pressure and again as his wrists were freed. He cringed as he moved his arms back down to their normal position, a bit stiff from being held at an unnatural position for so long. He traced his fingers around the indents from the rope, it was a little sore, but not enough to leave a bruise, like there would be on his neck and thighs.

Levi left to clean up and came back with a warm wet cloth to help Eren clean up.

"So, how do you feel?" Levi asked, sounding almost a little nervous.

Eren smirked, his eyes shining brightly. "I feel _great_. You'll have to let me try it on you sometime."


	22. Day 22: Mini Chapter

Eren was never big on storms. They usually came with destruction after all. Or, in Eren's life they had.

Knowing the storm was coming, and having been in Eren's life long enough to know where that would lead, he prepared. The curtains were all shut, and he made a lovely little fort in the living room. He couldn't help being a romantic when it came to Eren.

There were blankets thrown over dining room chairs that were moved, cushions that were removed from the couch, even hung over command hooks. Pillows piled underneath along with even more blankets. He made sure the TV was underneath as well, his laptop hooked up with Netflix already pulled up. For the final touch, there were fairy lights he picked up on his way home strung up all over, the only light on besides the TV. It was quite romantic, if Levi said so himself.

Eren came home from work already drenched from the rain that had started to come down.

"Welcome home, Eren." Levi greeted him at the door with a kiss.

"Thanks." Eren mumbled through the kiss.

Eren walked into the living room, his eyes lighting up instantly.

"I'm gonna get dressed and I'll be right back!" Eren rushed, already starting to strip himself of his damp clothes.

He changed into some sweats and a t-shirt, getting comfortable.

He re-joined Levi in the living room, getting comfortable under the blanket fort with him.

Lightning striked as Eren was getting comfortable. He snuggled further into his side as they both laid on the mountain of blankets and pillows. Levi hugged him close, stroking his hair as he did so.

Eren picked a sappy romance movie. They watched it, cracking jokes and snuggling harder every time the storm was able to be heard over the sound of the TV.

It was a pleasant night. For one of the first times in a long time, Eren was able to fall asleep without feeling anxious. All thanks to his loving boyfriend.


	23. Day 23: Christmas Party

Levi decorated the christmas tree as Eren hung up the colorful christmas lights. Mikasa was in the background baking cookies with her girlfriend, Annie. The entire apartment smelled of pine and ginger, leaving Eren with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Oi, Eren." Levi shouted from where he stood by the tree.

"What is it?" Eren yelled back, not turning away from his work of placing the lights around the wall.

"It's time to put the star on the tree."

Eren quickly stopped what he was doing and turned towards his boyfriend. This was his favorite part of decorating. It was almost better than getting to lick the bowl when Mikasa was done baking….almost.

He bounded towards his boyfriend, Christmas music playing loudly in the background. He didn't even need a stool to place the star on top. He simply stood on his toes and leaned forward a bit, placing it perfectly on top.

He grabbed Levi, bringing him into a tight hug and smile-filled kiss as he finished his task. Even Levi had to smile at the amount of energy Eren had, it was contagious.

Only two days until Christmas. Eren was a little upset it took them so long to get around to decorating, but they had all been busy. He couldn't be mad. But, that did leave them with only a day to get the apartment in order for the Christmas Eve party they were going to hold tomorrow. Luckily, Eren was almost done with the lights around the ceiling, Levi had finished the tree, Mikasa and Annie were baking and cooking away. Everyone's presents were already wrapped and placed carefully placed under the tree, even the stockings were already hung on the counter.

Eren let the older man go, returning to his task of hanging lights. He finished quickly enough, going to help the girls and Levi in the kitchen. They added some fake snow to the counter, placing a punch bowl and various decorative plates on it. The plates were quickly piled with cookies, from sugar to even the nasty oatmeal cookies that Eren hated. The rest of the food was covered and put in the fridge until tomorrow, not wanting it to go bad.

"Alright. That's all folks!" Eren exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement and pride.

"We're gonna watch Christmas movies if you guys want to stay." Levi offered, already taking his place on the couch with Bela.

Mikasa glanced at Annie, snaking their fingers together. "Um, I think we're good tonight. But you guys have fun."

With a wave they were off, leaving Eren, Levi, and Bela alone.

"Levi! We haven't gotten to see what the apartment looks like with the lights yet! Help me plug them in!" Eren was already rushing towards a string of lights that needed plugged in across the room.

Levi got up and plugged in another string and the lights on the tree.

Eren held his breath as he shut all the lights in the apartment off. The apartment looked breathtaking. Like the childhood Eren had always wanted. The sight actually brought a tear to his eye, even though the grin on his face was as wide as it could go without splitting Eren's handsome face.

"Wow." Was all even Levi could manage.

"For our first Christmas together, I think we did pretty good." Eren chuckled after a silent minute.

"I agree. Now, we have some Christmas movies to marathon." Levi stated, taking his seat on the couch back.

Eren joined, laying his head in Levi's lap. Levi's hand instinctively playing with Eren's hair while the other scrolled through channels to find the perfect Christmas movie. They found Rudolph, and even if Levi couldn't see his face, he knew that Eren was thrilled. It was his favorite movie.

They stayed like that until the movie end, Eren making comments about poor Rudolph while Levi made jokes about the abominable snowman. Even Bela meowed a few times about Hermey, or at least that's what Eren liked to think.

Eren fell asleep with his head on Levi's lap. The excitement finally fading to let the boy sleep during _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_.

Levi gently got up, careful not to wake his sleeping beauty, lifting him up and carrying him to their bed. He put him under the covers and joined him. The lights from the tree helping to illuminate their room.

Unfortunately for him, Levi did not get the same care when he was woken up violently. Eren was shaking him, excitement clear on his features. He had already been up for a while from what Levi could tell, his hair was still wet and he was dressed, which was not something Eren could manage in a short amount of time.

"Get up, Levi! We've got people coming over today! It's Christmas Eve!" He whined, hoping Levi would've been up by now.

"Alright. Jesus. Calm down." Levi said, already aware Hell was more likely to freeze over today than Eren's excitement was to lessen.

He got up after a brief kiss from Eren, who was making his way to feed the cat. He got a shower and got dressed, wearing some festive red and white in the spirit of the holiday. Also, because Eren had insisted on what he wore.

They finished setting out the food when Mikasa and Annie came, the first of many to arrive. They gave Eren and Levi hugs before making themselves at home. Next were Armin and Erwin, then Hanji and Mike, Sasha and Connie, Reiner and Bertholdt, Petra and her fiance, even Jean and Marco. The whole gang was here. Honestly, Eren hadn't expected it to turn out so well, most of them having been exceptionally busy with the holiday.

The night was fun, small talk continued amongst everyone. People eating their finger food as they did so. Until Hanji brought out the eggnog that she had snuck in. The small talk turned into loudly singing Christmas songs, missing lyrics and singing off-key included. The merriment was increased exponentially while everyone was as lit as the Christmas tree.

Eventually, as the night approached ten, everyone trickled out, wanting to be with their loved ones.

Eren and Levi each got the one gift they were allowed to open before Christmas and met back in the living room. They swapped festively wrapped packages, smiles and kisses exchanged as they did so.

"I can't wait to see the pajamas you picked out for me." Eren laughed.

"I'm almost scared to see what you got me." Levi huffed with a smile.

They each unwrapped their pajamas quickly, too excited to see what was inside. Eren was gifted a pair of fuzzy pajama bottoms with Rudolph stamped all around them and a white shirt with a reindeer face and a red nose on it. Levi was given batman pajamas, with the yellow batman symbol placed all over the bottoms and a plain black shirt to go with it.

They said their thank you's and other compliments before running off to change into their gifts. Both glad to hear that they had gotten the size for the other right.

"Alright, Batman, time for bed." Eren finally yawned, noticing it was almost midnight.

"Yeah, Santa doesn't come to boys who are up past their bedtime." Levi snorted.

Eren rolled his eyes as he was led into the bedroom and under the warm embrace of their blankets. He fell asleep quickly, wrapped in Levi's arms, the smell of gingerbread, and the glow of the Christmas lights.


	24. Day 24: Bye

"Eren, I'm begging you. Please, don't think this is because I don't love you." Levi reached his hand out.

The brunette boy flinched away from the shorter man's hand. It had been a rough week, sure, but every couple fought, didn't they? They could make it through this, too.

"I-I don't get what you're saying." Eren stuttered through trembling lips.

They both had wet eyes, tears threatening to spill over any second. The wrong word would have one of them sobbing any second. Neither could tell which one would cave first, both trying to harden their faces and failing.

"You know what I'm saying, Eren." Levi sighed.

"I need you to say it, _Levi._ " Eren's tone held more bite in it now, hating the way Levi was dancing around the subject.

"Eren…" Levi was silently begging.

Eren's grief slowly changed to anger. "Say it." Was all he huffed out.

"I think….we should take a break." He cringed as the words left his mouth, as if it was someone else that was saying them.

Eren laughed harshly. "We all know that's just code for breaking up." He rolled his eyes, a twisted smile on his face.

"It doesn't have to for us. We've both just been under so much stress lately, I think-" He stopped, trying to compose himself before his voice wavered anymore.

"Well let me make this easier on you, then." Eren said, his voice even and low.

"Don't-" Was all the shaking older man could say.

"We're over. Now get out." Eren's voice held no emotion.

Levi wondered how Eren managed to shut off his feelings now, at this point. He had never been good at hiding his feelings before, everything showing on his face. This couldn't be what Eren was actually thinking right? He couldn't be that indifferent, or in favor of, their separation….right?

Eren stood up, making his way to the apartment door. He opened it swiftly. He even cooly leaned against the door as he waited for Levi to exit.

Levi trudged to the front door. He tried his hardest to keep his head held high. He tried to appear as indifferent as Eren. He failed miserably. His lip was quivering and his legs were barely supporting him. The tears freely falling from his cheeks were not helping either.

"Bye, Levi." Was all Eren muttered as he shut the door.

Eren didn't even slam it. It was a slow, senseable. Like Eren couldn't possibly be falling apart inside like Levi was.

Eren's "calm and collected" self may have just been due to shock. He didn't make a sound as he stripped and got a shower. He went through the motions, but he wasn't sure how.

Everything finally started to click as he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. Tears mixing with the stream of water rinsing him off. And all at once he lost it. Screaming, sobbing, falling to the floor. It hit him. He had just chased Levi out of his life for good. But, wasn't Levi about to do the same? Eren didn't even know why Levi had wanted a break. That wasn't a good relationship. They couldn't make that work. Eren knew that, even if he didn't want to admit it. And he definitely didn't.

Levi somehow made the drive back to his apartment without getting in a wreck. He rushed inside, not wanting to deal with the questions or stares of the bystanders he needed to walk through. He wasn't even sure he could speak to explain. His legs held him until he was inside with the door closed. Suddenly he was on the floor, his back pressed against the door. The silent tears he had managed until now vanished, being replaced by uncontrollable sobs. The kind that made his body shake and his vision blurry.

He called Erwin, who rushed over immediately.

"Jesus Christ, Levi." Erwin gaped.

Levi had only moved from the door enough to let Erwin in. He was still curled up in a ball on the floor in the entrance.

Eren, on the other hand, turned off his phone and laid on his bed. He didn't even bother properly drying off after his shower. His hair was still dripping as he collapsed on his bed. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he woke up to knocking on his door.

He wasn't going to get it. Whoever it was wasn't more important than his emotional turmoil right now. He just rolled over, covering his head with a pillow. His eyes starting to sting from the crying he had done.

"Eren?" A warm voice cooed from beside the bed.

"Go away, Armin." Eren snapped. He immediately regretted his tone towards his best friend, but he really didn't want to be bothered now.

"What happened?" The blonde asked. He took a seat next to Eren, stroking his arm over the blanket.

"Nothing." He replied, the harshness in his voice gone.

"I've known you too long for you to think you can pull this on me. What happened, Eren?" Armin tried to coax the information out of him again.

What was a best friend if you couldn't share your heart ache with them?

"I broke up with Levi." Eren whispered, his eyes starting to gloss over again.

"What in the ever loving fuck _happened_?" Armin sounded shocked. Though everyone would be when they found out.

"I'm not even sure, honestly."

Eren sat up and Armin hugged him close. The contact bringing back the tears and sobbing from the brunette boy.

Levi wasn't doing much better. The only real difference was that there was no touching involved with Levi and Erwin. Levi explained the situation to him, leaving nothing out. He had only wanted a break, he wanted Eren to think through their relationship. He went head first into things too often. Levi was his first homosexual relationship after all. He could stand to think about how this would affect him. But Levi hadn't even gotten a chance to explain before he was shoved out. And, honestly, he didn't know if this wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to drag Eren into his lifestyle. He had gone through enough pain coming out. If Eren could avoid it, then he should. He just wished he could've explain that to Eren.

"For fucks sake, Levi. Get your head out of your ass. You guys might as well get married at this point." Erwin laughed, rolling his eyes.

Levi looked like someone hit him with a truck. "What the fuck, Erwin?" Levi snapped.

"Go tell the boy what you meant. All this is doing is hurting you both. You need to talk to him. Sit down and talk. I'm sure Eren doesn't want this any more than you." Erwin's teasing tone was replaced with a much sterner one.

"If he didn't want this than why the _fuck_ did he say it?" Levi was getting irritated now.

"He was scared, Levi. Just like you were when you tried to suggest the break. You're both new to this whole relationship thing. It'll take some figuring out, but Jesus, don't let him go this easy. I thought you were smarter than that." Now his tone was hinting at faux disappointment. "But that's all the advice I got. Take it or leave it. I'm going home to wait for Armin."

With a wave he was off. Levi was stuck to the couch where he had finally moved after Erwin basically picked him up off the floor.

Bless the blonde haired boy that was helping Eren come to his senses, too. He started sobbing even harder after he realized how bad he fucked up. Poor Armin was going to have a tear stain on his t-shirt.

"Now, that's my advice. Just talk to him. Get this straightened out. Okay?" Armin froze, waiting for an answer from Eren.

"Alright." Eren sniffled.

"Good. Now, I'll be going. Erwin's waiting for me at his apartment." Armin smiled.

He gave Eren a kiss on the forehead while Eren rolled his eyes. Both had a doofy grin on their face now. Armin left quietly, locking the door behind him.

Now, all that Eren had left to do was get his shit together and talk to Levi. If he could just get out of bed.


	25. Day 25: Happy Birthday!

"Happy Birthday, Eren!" Everybody shouted in unison.

It didn't even look like his apartment anymore. There were colorful streamers hanging from the ceiling, almost low enough for Eren to bump his head. There were balloons, both filled with helium and without. Even a big banner that said 'Happy Birthday' hanging on the back wall. Best of all, his entire apartment was filled with friends and family.

He walked in, getting attacked first by the ringleader of this whole ordeal.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you." Levi whispered, giving his boyfriend a chaste kiss and warm smile.

Eren broke into a wide grin, making the corner of his eyes crinkle. "I love you, too. And thank you."

He gave Levi another quick kiss before he was pushed into the swarm of people waiting for their turn to congratulate the tall brunette.

Hanji almost crushed him in a hug, her husband Mike giving a hard pat. Marco gave a warm hug and jean gave a fist bump, which was more than Eren expected, honestly. Armin and Mikasa gave him their usual group hug. Everything else was just a mess of faces, but he thanked all of them wholeheartedly.

"Alright, Eren. Time for cake. Feed the people!" Hanji sang, lighting the 23 candles on the birthday cake.

The cake was homemade. It was decorated with Eren's favorite Overwatch character, Tracer. Twenty-three lit candles decorating the edge of the birthday cake.

Everyone sang as Eren sat smiling awkwardly. This was always the worst part. Eren didn't know what to do while everyone sang. Once they sang out the last line, Eren relaxed and blew out all of his candles...after a couple tries.

"Thanks everyone." He said sweetly, smiling at the crowd as Hanji started plucking the candles out of the cake.

"Here, birthday boy gets the perk of licking the candles." Hanji plopped all the candles on a plate with a piece of cake and scoop of ice cream, passing it to Eren.

Levi came and gave Eren a kiss of the cheek as he sat and ate his cake. Eren fed him a bite of his cake

"So, whatcha thinking?" Eren asked.

"I'm so glad you were born twenty-three years ago. I can't even imagine being without you anymore." Levi's tone was loving, matching the look he gave his lover.

"I love you, Levi." Eren said simply, returning the love Levi had given him.

They all ate, chatting happily until a slightly tipsy Armin couldn't contain himself anymore.

"You've gotta open your presents, Eren. Normally it wouldn't have taken this long to rip those open." Armin chuckled a little.

"Well this year it's about more than the presents." Eren's answer sounded thoughtful as he looked up at Levi, biting his lip a little.

Eren's mind was more focused on the sex that he imagine having with Levi tonight than anything. But to everyone else, he just sounded sweet. Levi pretended to be innocent, smiling sweetly at Eren.

"Well enough of that shit. Open this!" Jean said pushing a present into Eren's lap.

His friends had truly spoiled him. He got all sorts of video games, some photo collages to hang up, and even a pair of Super Mario boxers courtesy of Armin. Levi had already told Eren he wouldn't get his present until later, keeping him curious.

Eventually everyone left, saying their congratulations as they exited. It was just Eren and Levi, yet Levi still refused to reveal the surprise he had for the birthday boy.

"You'll get it eventually. Have patience." The chuckling that went along with his words almost made Eren scream. Eren's patience had run out hours ago.

"But I'm the birthday boy." Eren had been reduced to pouting and he didn't even care anymore.

Levi sighed in defeat while Eren smiled in his victory.

"It's in the bedroom." Levi said, leading Eren to the closed door.

He made Eren close his eyes as he opened the door and led him inside. He made him sit on a chair in the room to wait patiently while he went and got what he needed to.

Soundly the room was filled with the familiar sound of The Weeknd. Levi yelled not to peek as Eren thought about doing just that.

Suddenly Levi's lips were on his. Eren's hands went to Levi's hips on reflex. His hands were met with an unusual feeling he couldn't place.

Levi stepped away, breaking the kiss. Eren's eyes fluttered open in confusion as to why the pleasure stopped.

He completely forgot about everything else as he gazed at Levi in front of him. He was wearing a pair of black stilettos, a long loose white shirt, and barely visible black lace panties. It must've been the lace that Eren couldn't place, but he was not complaining.

The song changed along with Levi's demeanor. Eren was floored as Levi strutted to him in the heels. The heels clicking softly on the wooden floors, making Eren shiver. Levi teased a glance of the black lace panties as he swayed from side to side. His face was of pure confidence. Nothing about this was what Eren had expected, but it was certainly what he wanted.

Levi walked around him, dragging his hand across his shoulders. He then swung a leg on the other side of Eren and straddled his lap, grinding their lower regions together suddenly. Eren gasped, letting his hands rub Levi's thighs as he teased the other boy. The black haired man dragged his hands down Eren's torso, ending with his fingertips just inside Eren's underwear, playing with the elastic there. He leaned in like he was about to kiss Eren and then he was gone. He turned around, keeping his legs straight and bending down to touch his toes as he gave a little booty shake, which both amused and turned-on Eren. He ran his hands up his legs as he came back up, taking the tank top off as they stretched upwards.

Eren moaned at his new sight. The black lace panties were more than Eren could take.

"Levi, come here." Eren opened his arms, waiting for Levi to return to straddle his lap.

He obliged, in no rush though. "Anything for the birthday boy." He smirked.

Eren gripped Levi's short hair and brought their mouths together roughly. The kiss was passionate, Eren unable to control himself.

Eren's hands found Levi's ass and gripped it firmly, lifting Levi up and carrying him to the bed. He was dropped on his back while Eren loomed over him.

"Happy birthday, Eren." Levi whispered.

Eren leaned into the hand that caressed his face, momentarily calming the sexual tension in the room. The sexual tension came back, however, as Levi ground their hips together again.

The room was quickly filled with moans, pants, and the occasional laughter.

It was a good twenty-third birthday.


	26. Day 26: Hot

"Levi, I'm going to die." Eren sprawled on the floor dramatically.

"I don't think you're going to actually die. Just stay hydrated." Levi rolled his eyes, like he always did when Eren was being overdramatic.

"No. I'm going to die." Eren didn't even try to hide his overreacting.

"It was nice knowing you then." Levi waved goodbye.

Eren stood up from where he was on the floor. He was only wearing a tank top and his briefs. His grey tank top slightly darker in some areas from his sweat. His exposed tanned skin glistening in the rays of light that streamed in.

Eren walked to their room and threw on a pair of green swim trunks.

"Where are you going?" Levi raised his eyebrow, his gaze following Eren.

"I'm gonna go try and avoid death." Eren chuckled.

Levi got up and kissed his cheek. It was too hot to linger more than a second.

"I'll go with you." He stated as he walked away.

"But you hate the beach."

"Good thing we're not going to the beach, then."

Eren didn't try to hide his confusion.

"What?"

"We're going to Erwin's. He just invited us over." He showed his phone to the younger brunette.

Eren's face lit up. Erwin's pool was massive. He even had a volleyball net that could be put up and taken down. The best part, however, was the diving board.

Levi put on his black swim trunks and grabbed some towels before rejoining Eren by the door.

The drive there was a little long. The fact that the A/C in Eren's car broke really didn't help. But they filled the time by singing dumb songs horribly off-key and smiling.

The pulled up to the almost-mansion already looking like they'd gone swimming. Erwin walked out, with a smiley Armin trailing behind him.

"Hello boys." Erwin nodded at them.

They all exchanged greetings quickly as they made their way out back. The pool looking as inviting as ever.

"Eren do you-" Levi was quickly cut off.

Eren rushed passed everyone, cannonballing into the pool, not surfacing for a minute.

"God, am I dating a twenty-one year old or a twelve year old?" Levi chuckled.

"Twelve year old." Armin and Erwin laughed.

Eren resurfaced, a big smile on his face.

"Come on guys." He shouted louder than necessary.

Armin jumped in next, sighing at the cool contact of the water.

Levi and Erwin took their time getting in, chatting with each other as they did so. Armin and Eren splashing each other.

Eventually the volleyball net got put up. The teams were Erwin and Eren versus Armin and Levi, first to 10 wins.

Needless to say Erwin and Eren's athletics builds weren't just for show. And seeing Eren dripping wet, laughing, and flexing was driving Levi insane. Even Armin had to tell him to pick his jaw up during the middle of the match.

After winning, Erwin suggested that they take a break for food and rehydration. He grilled some hotdogs and brought out some soda's. Levi and Eren set the table while Armin helped his own boyfriend.

They sat and ate by the pool, blessing Erwin for having poolside lounging that included those over-sized umbrellas to keep the sun's rays off.

They decided to call it a day when they finished eating. The sun had gone down enough to help cool them anyway. And they were all too full from the hotdogs and chips to do much moving.

Eren and Levi grabbed their towels and waved bye to their gracious hosts. Levi threw his shirt on when they got in the car, Eren opted to go shirtless for the trip.

They drove back the same way they came, awful singing included. The entire while Levi stole glances at his gorgeously tanned boyfriend. Not that Eren complained, even if he did notice.

They made it inside and to the bathroom without incident. But that's as far as it got. Eren had him shirtless and panting before Levi could comprehend what was going on.

But he backed away just as quickly.

"That's payback for eye-fucking me in the car." Eren smirked.

Levi didn't have a good retort, so he opted for following Eren into the shower and pressing him against the wall.

It took a while, but they eventually got around to cleaning the chlorine off.


	27. Day 27: Consequences

"Are we seriously about to do this?" Eren laughed hysterically. He was beyond buzzed at this point, he was absolutely drunk.

The gang had gotten together to celebrate Connie's birthday and things quickly got out of hand. Sasha and Reiner had brought out the alcohol and Eren only remembered a couple minutes beyond that. They started with shots of cheap vodka and moved onto playing drinking games with Everclear mixers. They would all hate themselves in the morning.

"Oh come on! It'll be fun! You love King!" Sasha's drunk self was shouting needlessly.

King had been the game they all played in high school. It gradually got more and more intense as they graduated and started college. Each person picks a popsicle stick from a cup, they were all numbered except for one, which was marked with a K. If you got the K popsicle you were deemed the King, and could make any player do what you wanted, but you had to use numbers, and you didn't know who had what number.

Sasha stuck out the red solo cup in her hand filled with sticks, everyone picking one.

Marco was the first King, letting the game start innocently enough. "Alright, number 4 has to post an ugly selfie to their Snapchat story!" He finished with a smirk, proud of himself.

Armin let out an audible groan. He whipped out his phone and crossed his eyes, bloated his cheeks, and stuck out his tongue. There was a small flash and Armin cringed as he uploaded it. Everyone else took their phones out then to see the sight, laughing hysterically.

Everyone returned their sticks and repeated the process. There were a couple more innocent ones, but things went south as soon as Jean got to be King. It started with kisses on the cheek and turned into stripping. Ymir sat on the couch in her underwear and Jean was shirtless.

Everyone laughed at what had been happening, having a good time. Then Mikasa called for numbers 7 and 9 to kiss...and specified for it to be on the lips...for three whole seconds. No getting out of that one.

Jean looked at Marco nervously, but Marco was more curious to see who number 9 was. Poor Eren had a look of horror on his face. Everyone lost their shit at that one. They'd gotten lucky enough to avoid situations like this at every party prior, but their luck just ran out.

Jean's look matched Eren's. They both groaned as they stood and eyed each other in the middle of the room. Armin took out his phone and snapped a picture as the two kissed. Both obviously displeased, opting to take a shot after the ordeal.

"God, I feel disgusting." A drunk Eren slurred.

" _You_ feel gross? I don't even wanna hear it. And my boyfriend thinks this is hilarious." Jean snapped back.

"Oh, shut it horse-face." Eren laughed back before his face fell. " _Shit_ ….what's Levi gonna think?" Eren dragged his hand down his face, stumbling back into the living room.

He grabbed his phone and asked Levi to come pick him up. He'd had enough drinking for the night. He just hoped that he'd gotten drunk enough that he wouldn't remember that kiss in the morning. But he probably wasn't that lucky.

Levi knocked about 15 minutes later. A barely clothed Ymir answered the door, almost tripping over her own feet but collecting herself at the last second.

"Levi!" The whole apartment cheered, welcoming him into the danger zone. He gave a wave as he looked for Eren.

Eren popped out of the middle of the group, sliding his phone back into his pocket. His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol.

"Hi, Levi." Eren greeted meekly.

"Ready to go?" Levi asked, eyeing the group with curiosity.

Eren nodded, grabbing onto Levi for balance. They said their goodbyes and made their way down and into Levi's car. Levi opened the door for the intoxicated brunette, helping him into the car before he got himself in.

And suddenly Eren lost it. Crying hysterically before Levi could even turn the key in the ignition.

"What the fuck, Eren?!" Levi's voice full of concern. He raised his hand to stroke Eren's cheek, but the younger boy flinched away. Levi's face fell along with his hand.

"I-I….I kissed Jean." Eren confessed, unable to keep this from Levi. He was scared Levi wouldn't want him anymore, but he prayed he would understand.

Levi sighed and started the car. He drove them back to their apartment, the car only filled with the sound of Eren's sniffling.

Levi's face remained impassive as they went up to the apartment. Eren was left to keep himself upright as they made the journey, which was no easy feat.

After they were inside, and Eren felt sufficiently ignored, he confronted his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Levi. Please don't hate me." His voice was terrified and shaky.

Levi turned around to meet his gaze, his face almost angry, but there was a smirk. "I suppose someone needs to be punished."

Eren bit his lip, unable to truly comprehend what was happening. The only thing he knew was that sobered him up a little.

Levi pushed him into the bedroom. Eren stripped himself, making Levi laugh. "Do you know what a punishment is, _brat?_ " His voice dropped. He had a different air about him now.

He let Eren sit on the edge of the bed. A perfect view for the show Levi made of stripping himself. When he was completely naked he moved towards the headboard and allowed himself to relax. He stroked himself, letting some moans out as he did so. When Eren moved to "help" Levi shot him down.

"Uh-uh. You get to watch. And no playing with yourself either. Just sit and watch." Levi huffed.

"But, Levi…" Eren whined, his pupils were blown and his breathing heavy. The glare Levi shot him was enough to shut him up. Even if he glared, Eren couldn't help but shift from the heat growing between his legs.

Levi started stroking faster, letting a whine escape. The noises that started coming from the shorter man shifted Eren's focus from his want and to the sight before him. Levi slicked his other hand with lube, tracing around his entrance. Eren couldn't tell if he was hallucinating from the alcohol or not.

Eren let out a moan with Levi as he let a finger slip into his hole, slowing thrusting it in and out.

"Fuck." Eren moaned. The sight before him was almost enough to make him come undone. He held himself together, knowing the teasing that would come if he came from just this.

Levi flipped over, his ass in the air. Eren's view couldn't get any better. Levi slipped another finger in, wiggling his ass as he did so. Eren's dick was throbbing, painfully so now.

"Please, Levi. I am begging you." Eren's voice was as shaky as the rest of him.

"This wouldn't be a punishment if I gave you what you wanted, would it?" Levi smirked. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was enjoying this. If he was being honest, he had wanted to do this before. It was wrong to be pretend to be mad at Eren, but it made it so much more enjoyable for him.

Levi flipped over again. This time he positioned Eren so he was laying in the middle of the bed and straddled his thighs. He wanted to be able to view Eren's cock as it twitched at the sight of him.

"This isn't fair, Levi." Eren was growling now.

"I know." Was the only reply he got.

Levi went back to stroking himself with one hand and fucking himself with the other. He didn't bother holding his voice back at all. He chanted his lover's name, moaned every swear word in the book, and finally came all over Eren's stomach.

He rolled off of Eren, panting heavily. He then gave Eren a smile and quick kiss before going to clean up in the bathroom.

A confused Eren propped himself up on his forearms as he waited for Levi to return. His erection didn't go away at all.

"Wait, are you not mad?" Eren questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"Not really. I know I can trust you. Plus, it was Jean. I know better than to worry about him." Levi smirked again.

"Mind helping me then?" Eren licked his lips and glanced at his dick.

"Oh no, you still get to take care of that yourself. You still kissed someone else." He laughed. Eren didn't share the humor.

He sighed and went to the bathroom to take care of himself. He came back a couple minutes later. His cheeks were still red, but he was much more sober now.

"Well, definitely learned my lesson." Eren said as he plopped down on the bed next to Levi.

"I don't know. I kinda enjoyed that." Levi blushed and let out a light chuckle.

Eren looked taken aback, but he couldn't deny that it was an interesting experience. Maybe with a few adjustments...like him not taking care of himself...it would be nice.


	28. Day 28: Woof

"-vi. Levi! Wake the hell up!"

Eren was not only yelling, but straddling and shaking Levi. Not the most pleasant way to wake up.

"Jesus Christ. What is it?" Levi mumbled, barely awake. He didn't get a reply, just a dramatic sigh from his boyfriend. Annoyed at the younger boy, he sat up and opened his eyes.

Boy did he wake up fast.

"Uh…." Was all Levi managed to get out as he took in the sight in front of him. He was fluffy. There was a wagging tail and drooping, furry ears. All colored the rich brown of Eren's hair.

"Yeah. Thanks for finally joining the living. While you were playing dead, _some_ of us were having a crisis. But glad you joined us." Eren spat out, quite irritated that Levi was sleeping peacefully while he was ready to pull his hair out.

Levi took his hand and reached out to Eren. He stopped just short of petting Eren's new ears. He was hesitating. This was clearly a dream. It had to be. No one just sprouted a dog tail and ears. This wasn't some bad hentai.

Eren closed the distance, pushing his head against Levi's hand. It was soft. Levi's hesitation was gone and replaced with curiosity. He scratched his boyfriend's ears, watching as the brown tail that was behind him started to wag. It was certainly a sight to see.

"Do you understand why I was freaking out now?" Eren asked a little harshly. Given the circumstances, Levi would let it slide.

"What the fuck did you do, kid?" Levi asked, still awestruck by his boyfriend's new features.

"I didn't _do_ anything! Do you really think I'd be freaking out like this if I knew what the fuck caused it?" Eren was getting really irritated now. He stood up and started pacing. His bad habit of biting his nails had come back.

"Alright. Calm down. Come here." Levi patted his lap, hoping Eren wouldn't blow him off.

Luckily, Eren complied. He straddled Levi and let his head fall into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. His ears tickled as nuzzled further into his warmth.

"We'll figure it out. No need to worry." Levi cooed into Eren's perked ear. Eren seemed like a puppy before, but now he really was one. Every emotion that Eren felt was visible in the way his ears twitched and his tail wagged.

Eren leaned back and smiled at his boyfriend. He was grateful he wasn't going through this alone. He would've had some sort of mental break.

"Woah. You've got K9s too!" Levi said with amusement. He stuck his fingers in Eren's mouth, trying to get a better view. They had grown long and sharp, just like a puppies.

Eren nipped at the fingers entering his mouth. Levi hissed at the slight pain, more out of surprise than actual pain though. He didn't remove his hand despite it all. He enjoyed the biting, even if he knew better than to admit it. Now was not the time.

"Levi…" Eren whined, wanting control of his mouth back. Levi reluctantly removed his hands, switching his interest to Eren's fluffy tail. He stroked it carefully. Eren tried to keep it as still as possible, but failed miserably. He just got more excited, making it wag even more. Even Levi had to chuckle at the sight.

"Well, we can't do anything about it right now. We don't even know why it happened. So why don't we rest up and come up with fresh ideas in an hour?" Levi covered his mouth as he yawned. It was still too early for him, especially given his rude awakening.

Eren nodded, rolling off of him. He didn't move far, he laid next to Levi, pushing himself into Levi's side. It was warm and comforting, something Eren needed right now. He calmed himself enough to fall back asleep in Levi's arms.

Ninety minutes later, Levi woke up. He was still groggy, but not enough that he would hallucinate. The tail and ears had vanished, thank God. Eren was back to his normal human self. Had it been a dream? But the sensation of Eren's fur were firmly implanted in Levi's memory.

Whatever, he was comfortable. That was the important thing.


	29. Day 29: Sickly

"Levi, I'm dying." Eren coughed dramatically.

"Oh my god. You will be fine." Levi sighed.

This was day one of Eren having some sort of bug. He had gotten a fever and thrown up in the middle of the night last night and had kept Levi awake ever since.

Being the perfect boyfriend that he was, Levi had taken care of him all night without complaining. He had wiped Eren off, constantly changed the cool rag on Eren's forehead, even made rice porridge. But had Eren thanked him? No. Had Eren whined? Yes.

Suddenly Eren was up and rushing to the bathroom. Levi followed behind quickly. He leaned over behind Eren, rubbing his back calmingly as Eren heaved his rice porridge into the porcelain bowl. Levi almost threw up himself watching Eren, but tried to focus on soothing his sick lover.

Eren got up slowly, shaking a little. His face was pale and he was sweating again. Levi helped him back over to the bed. Noticing how sweaty and gross Eren had gotten again, Levi grabbed Eren some new pajamas. He took the cloth from the bowl on the nightstand and washed Eren down as he stripped him. Once he was all dressed again, the dark haired man forced Eren to drink a little water. A dehydrated Eren would not be good. Hospital trips were not a fun experience for either of them.

Once Eren had swallowed a couple of gulps of water, Levi relaxed a little.

"Thank you, Levi. I love you." Eren was already half asleep as he mumbled the words.

Levi sighed in defeat. He was hopeless. Despite all the trouble he had been put through for the younger man, he didn't regret it. It was worth it if it meant that Eren felt even a little better.

The two cuddled up as Eren took an afternoon nap. He woke up first, being careful not to wake Levi. It was dinner time before Eren started to wake up. Levi had fallen asleep comforting him.

Eren had started to feel bad about how selfish he had been while he was sick. He knew he couldn't blame everything on the fever. Brushing the hair out of Levi's face, he contemplated how he was going to make it up to him.

He snuck out of bed, as carefully as he could. Eren took his medicine and tried to find something to eat. Knowing he still couldn't handle anything heavy, soup was his best option. He threw it in the microwave, waiting for it to be properly heated. While he waited, a groggy Levi stepped into the kitchen.

"Morning, sunshine." Eren chuckled. Levi simply rolled his eyes. Levi kissed Eren on the top of his head to greet him.

"What are you making?" Levi asked, eyeing the bowl in the microwave.

"Just some soup. Do you want some?" Eren asked, nodding to the other cans on the shelf.

"Nope. I'm not the sick one. I can handle real food." Levi was his usual snarky self. Eren hoped this meant that he didn't resent him for being a brat earlier.

Levi made a sandwich to satisfy his own hunger, handing Eren his bowl of soup when it was finished microwaving. They ate in content silence. Eren only finished half the soup before starting to feel nauseas again, setting the bowl aside.

"I'm gonna grab a shower. See if I can wash the stink off." Eren chuckled, heading to the shower.

Levi got up to follow him, finishing his sandwich as he did so. "I'll take one with you. I don't need you passing out and hitting your head or something."

"I can't even argue with you right now." Eren shook his head in defeat.

Levi followed him to the bathroom. Both stripped and hopped in for a soothing warm shower. Levi quickly helped Eren clean up, then washed himself. He prayed that whatever Eren had he wouldn't get.

They dressed back in their pajamas. Eren curled up on the couch, Levi joining him. Eren turned on the TV and started watching some soap opera that Levi couldn't care less about. Ignoring the sound coming from the TV, instead focusing on the male beside him. He wrapped his arm around Eren, bringing him closer.

Even if he did get sick, he knew Eren would do the same. That's what you did for the person you loved. Plus, if he got sick, he could spend all day watching Netflix. Win-Win.


	30. Day 30: Thank You

There were papers scattered all over Eren's desk. Printed pictures of faraway lands, articles on tourist spots, notes that he had scratched out quickly. There was a little bit of everything in the mess that Eren called a work space.

"Eren, how's that story coming?" Levi was hesitant in his question. Eren was never good with deadlines. Especially important deadlines. Like the short story he was supposed to write for Shinganshina's 30th Anniversary Art Fair.

To be featured in the Art Fair had been Eren's dream since he learned how to write. He had grown up reading the stories that fellow townsman had wrote and the wonderful sculptures and paintings that were on display. Everything was judged of course. The best in each category got a big blue ribbon, fan favorite got a big green ribbon, and honorable mentions got smaller white ribbons. But it took a reference to even be able to get into the Fair. Lucky for Eren, Hanji had snuck a peek at his writing and used some connections to get him in.

Poor Levi had been supportive of Eren since he started to write his entry for the short story competition. He gave Eren his space, allowing him to lose himself in his work. The perfect black-haired man also made sure that Eren kept himself in check and ate and maintained healthy hygiene practices.

"I'm ready to burn my laptop." Eren groaned, resting his head in his hands. The story just wasn't coming to him like he had hoped.

"I don't think sitting there fretting is going to help you write. Why don't we watch a movie? You gotta refresh sometimes, Jaeger." Levi had hoped his playful tone was enough to get Eren to pay attention to him. He had felt a little neglected, even if he did understand.

"Alright. Pick out a movie and I'll grab some snacks." Eren smiled as he stretched, his joints popping from sitting in the same position for hours.

Eren passed Levi and headed to the kitchen, Levi going the opposite way into the living room. He was joined moments later by his brunette lover. Eren carried in a bag of chips, a bag of cheddar popcorn, a bag of M&Ms, and two cans of Dr. Pepper. All their bases were covered. Salty, sweet, and caffeinated.

They watched Pacific Rim, one of Levi's favorites. Eren got pretty into the movie, despite seeing it countless times. When it was over Levi understood why. Eren gave Levi a face-splitting smile and a kiss before running back to his work station.

Levi didn't see Eren again until the next day. He hoped Eren hadn't died during the middle of the night, but if he had….Well, it would be too late now.

He opened the door to the room Eren occupied. Eren was out cold. His face resting on his keyboard and arms outstretched on either side. It was a position that only Eren could fall asleep in, Levi's body ached just looking at the poor boy.

He shook Eren's shoulders lightly, trying to wake him. After a minute or so, Eren finally opened his eyes.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty. Go sleep in the bed. This is not good for you." Levi nodded towards the door. For once Eren actually obeyed. He trudged into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. As soon as his face hit his pillow he was out again.

When he woke up a couple hours later Levi tried to get the story out of him, but Eren wouldn't budge. He wanted to keep his story for the contest a secret. The only exception was Hanji, because she was going to turn his submission in for him after he finished it later. Levi let Eren avoid the subject until the weekend of the art Fair.

Eren was all dressed up in his favorite suit, ready for the ribbon ceremony. He loved that the judges would go around and hound out the ribbons in a big ceremony. Of course, it was an optional event, the creators didn't have to go. But Eren wouldn't miss it.

Levi drove them into downtown since Eren was too nervous.

"Levi, they hated it. God, I should've written about something else. Why would I do this? How can I-" His rambling was cut short as Levi squeezed his hand. It was a strong enough squeeze that Eren let out a small yelp.

"Calm down. I'm sure everything'll be fine. Hanji said she liked it after all. She may be a ditz, but she's not a liar. She wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it." His smile reassured Eren, even if only a little.

His nerves were back in full force as he saw the cover pages for every other short story entered. They were all on display on the wall, QR codes to read the story online were pasted right under them. Levi was the first to find Eren's entry. It blended in with the rest, but they did have strict cover page guidelines.

Levi gripped Eren's hand tight as they began announcing the winners for the short story selection.

"-er, with his piece titled _Wings of Freedom_." Eren missed it. What had they said? Why did that title sound so familiar to him?

"Eren! EREN!" Levi was almost crushing Eren's hand as he beamed up at him.

"What?" Eren had a dumb look on his face.

"You idiot! That's yours! Look! They put a shiny blue ribbon _and_ green ribbon up next to it. Holy _shit_ , Eren." Levi was as proud as he could be. He attacked Eren, kissing him passionately, wrapping his arms around Eren's neck.

Eren on the other hand was dumbstruck. He saw the ribbons, saw the title, his name….it just didn't make sense.

"How?" Was all he managed.

"Clearly people really like your work, Jaeger. I told you it would be fine." Levi placed his hand back in Eren's, squeezing it more reassuringly this time.

Eren felt a wide range of emotions. He was so happy that he had gotten to come this far. If it wasn't for Levi and Hanji's constant nagging and reassurance it wouldn't have happened. He would have to find a way to thank them for their support at some point. For now, he just wanted to bask in the fact that he had done it. Not only did he get in the Art Fair, he had _won_ it.

The grin that creeped onto his face didn't leave for the rest of the weekend. Levi walked around and viewed the paintings and other artwork with him. Several people stopped and congratulated the young writer, causing him to blush. It was all new to Eren. He hadn't expect this at all, making it even more stimulating.

A proud Levi took him out to eat in celebration. Eren's friends all came and congratulated him. Hanji boasted that she was the one who got him there, and he couldn't argue. They all sat around and talked for hours before Eren felt worn out. The excitement finally wearing out and being replaced with the urge to nap.

Levi drove him home, Eren nearly falling asleep on the short drive back to the apartment. When they got there he stripped immediately. The suit was classy, and very artsy, but not very comfortable.

He sat on the bed while he waited for Levi to strip and join him. "I don't know what I'd do without you and Hanji. You guys are the only reason I was able to pull this off. All the support and encouragement you guys gave me….I can't thank you guys enough. And I'm so sorry I was worthless while I was writing. Thank you for making sure I didn't die, Levi. I love you." Eren yawned the last words, finally laying down on the bed.

He felt Levi cuddle next to him and he was out like a light. He had gotten out his thanks and gratitude, which were the only things keeping him up. He knew he'd be able to take on any writing challenge after this. So long as he had Levi with him anyway. He was his key to success afterall.


End file.
